Champions of the Founders
by StormyFireDragon
Summary: What happens when the founders have enough? Why they come back and help turn the wizarding world upside down. See how people's lives will be changed and see what happens when you upset their heirs. HP/LL DM/SB
1. Naming of the Heirs

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 1 – Naming of the Heirs**

Harry was sitting in the Great Hall for dinner. Umbridge was shooting glares at him during the entire meal. He had a detention with her when the meal was done. Once more, he wasn't looking forward to it as she was tearing up his hand with an illegal dark object. Hermione found out for him that Umbridge was using a Blood Quill on him. The only time those were allowed was when you were signing a document that called for blood. That usually had something to do with inheritances and claiming the right of passage or adoptions. With a sigh, he ate his meal taking as long as he possible could to postpone the inevitable. It was going to be another long and painful night. Harry just hoped that Hermione had some more Essence of Murtlap waiting for him when he got back to the Gryffindor common room.

As he was about to stand to head out of the Great Hall and to her office, the doors to the Great Hall burst open, and four ghostly apparitions appeared in the entryway. Standing with them were three people who were looking extremely furious at the moment. As one, the group all made their way into the Great Hall and looked for the two people that their anger was directed at most. Upon spotting them, Amelia Bones let out a furious yell.

"Albus Dumbledore and Dolores Umbridge, you both have some serious explaining to do," she yelled. "I want this hall cleared out of all students and all professors are to report to this room in ten minutes. I won't be as polite about it again if I have to repeat myself. We have some serious discussions to get through and I want everyone that needs to be present in this Hall."

"Madam Bones," simpered Dolores. "Who do you think you are? You can't just come into this school and demand things from us. You have no authority here. Professor Dumbledore is still the current Headmaster, and I am the High Inquisitor of the school. I have the final say on what goes on in these hallowed halls. If you do not leave at once, I will have the Minister issue a warrant for your arrest for disturbing the peace."

"Be silent before I am forced to drop a house on you," hissed Amelia causing the muggle born students to giggle at the movie reference. "I'm calling the shots around here for now. You would do well to stay silent and do what I say. I have the backing of the Ministry of Magic to be here tonight as well as four who are furious with some of you. So shut up, sit down, and do what I tell you. I am at my end with patience with some of you and we are here to fix some of the problems that are going on in this school once and for all."

"I would imagine that there is much you don't know, Umbitch," hissed Sirius next. "Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, and Susan Bones are to come and stand here by my side. As the Head of House of the Ancient and Noble House of Black, I command that you listen to what I have to say Madam Umbridge. Right now, there are a few things that I have to say and you won't like it if I have to repeat myself. For the moment, these four students are under the protection of House Black, House Bones, and House Malfoy."

"Professor McGonagall, I would ask that you use your position as Deputy Head to have the students return to their common rooms," said Narcissa speaking next. "I am the Lady and acting Head of House of the Noble House of Malfoy. Sirius is acting in the official capacity as guardian and proxy of the Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. Madam Bones is here in her capacity as Head of the Noble House of Bones. We three are the most influential people in the wizarding world right now with the exception of Lord Potter. Please see to our wishes and have the rest of the professors stay in the hall. We have four guests here that have something to tell you all as much as we do."

Minerva looked to Filius and then to Pomona. Both shrugged their shoulders in confusion, but rose up to comply with the wishes presented. The Head and guardian of a second Head of two Ancient Houses and two heads of two Noble Houses held much sway in the magical world. Not seeing any reason to deny their request, Minerva stood up and made the command.

"Prefects are to gather their houses and return to their common rooms," she called. "Upon arriving, you are to do a head count and ensure that NONE of your students leave. Each house will have one short as the four students standing next to Lord Black was asked to remain in the Great Hall. Head Boy and Girl will send me a note via house elf telling me that all students are in their common rooms before heading to their own. This means that the Head Boy will get the report from Gryffindor and Slytherin while the Head Girl will get the report from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw."

"Anyone caught outside of their common room once the Head Boy and Girl give their reports will be put into detention for a month," said Filius. "Head Boy and Girl are to send us a house elf with your reports. Move out please. Make haste. It's time to stop gawking and move. I don't want to have to start removing points from the different houses. Move along Mr. and Miss Weasley and Miss Granger. I'm sure that if he is allowed, Lord Potter will tell you what transpires tonight."

Many interested students stared at Harry and the other three students standing with him. No one paid any attention to the four ghosts that were standing with them. Harry looked to Draco and saw that the blonde was just as confused as he was with what was going on. Both boys just shrugged to one another as they turned to the girls. Luna was standing quietly humming to herself. Susan was just watching everything with curiosity in her eyes. It was apparent that something huge was going on tonight. Harry had never seen Sirius acting so serious. Draco was in the same mindset about his mother. That neither teen was shooting barbs at one another was proof of their curiosity and confusion over their animosity towards one another.

"I must protest this action," stated Dumbledore. "This is highly uncalled for and most distracting to the students. I must ask what we are hoping to accomplish with this insanity. This is a school and doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of the Ancient or Noble Houses. I want you to stop this and remove yourselves and your guests from my school immediately."

"You haven't seen insanity yet," said Sirius with a sneer causing Dumbledore to pale. "Harry, why don't you take the other three and head to the Ravenclaw table nearest the Head table? Professor Flitwick, I must ask you to keep an eye out for their safety as things will get VERY heated here shortly. When we are done, there will be much that will be explained and there will be some VERY pissed off people here tonight. I don't want any of these four teens to get hit in the cross fire. For the record Dumbledore, this isn't YOUR school. I can name three people standing in this room right now who are the actual owners of the school. Oddly and funny enough, you aren't one of them."

Filius nodded his head at Sirius' request and moved to sit with the four students. He waved his wand in a complex manner and had the satisfaction of seeing safety shields surround the four teens. Minerva added her own protections to the students before she took her seat next to Filius to help keep an eye on their safety. The four specters nodded their heads in appreciation at this gesture.

"Shall we get to the heart of the matter then?" asked one of the mysterious apparitions standing with the trio. "We have much to cover and much to disclose to certain people. We don't want to waste any more time than necessary to assist these four teens. However, we have to get things started and set back upon the right track. We don't want any more games being played on the students that put them in danger."

"Who are these four spirits?" asked Severus with interest to the assembled professors at large. "They seem familiar to me, but it is hard to get a good look at them as they are not fully visible to the naked eye. If they would just present themselves, we can understand more about what this joke is all about. There is no way Potter is an heir of the school. He is an arrogant boy who doesn't follow the rules of his superiors."

"Sit down and shut up Snape," hissed Sirius pointing his wand at Severus while Amelia and Narcissa did the same. "We are here today due to some information we received and some visits. These four spirits were disturbed from their rest when things became too out of hand for the school. I think you know each and every one of them. May I present Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw? They came to the three of us and over the last few days, we have heard of some GRAVE miscarriages of justice that have been happening in this school. Your turn will come Snape. However for now, just sit down and don't speak. If you make one more ugly remark about my godson, it may be the last thing that you do. Open your mouth and you will find out why I was tied for the top spot in school with Harry's father and you weren't."

"We will begin by taking it one professor at a time," said Helga sitting next to Harry and giving him a smile. "We have much to discuss with the staff of Hogwarts. However, before we get into that, I think we need to explain to these four students why they are still present. Salazar, would you do the honor please?"

"I can see that there has been animosity between Lord Potter and Scion Malfoy," said Salazar slowly. "In our day, there was no such thing as house rivalry. In fact, it has gotten worse since Dumbledore took over this school. My statement will be directed to Scion Malfoy. I NEVER fought with the other three founders. We DO NOT preach pureblood doctrines here. Each magic user is special. It doesn't matter if you are a pureblood, half-blood, or muggleborn. Each person with magic is equal. We see how you act and react to other students based on what you were taught. You were taught wrong."

"The four of you have been chosen to be our champions," said Rowena standing behind Luna. "Each of you has some of the bloodline of one of us flowing in you with the exception of Scion Malfoy. Just because you have our blood doesn't mean we will choose you as our champion. The four of you will be HOGWART'S champions and not our personal champion just because of your house insignia. We are just going to sponsor you so to speak. I do hope that I'm not confusing you."

"Basically you are saying that just because I'm in Gryffindor doesn't mean that Lord Godric will be my sponsor," stated Harry knowingly. "Though I am in Gryffindor, it is very possible that Lord Slytherin will be my sponsor. Though when it all boils down to it, I will still be a champion of Hogwarts no matter what my house is or who my sponsor is."

"Correct," said Salazar. "That is the best explanation to what is going on that can be given. You have to excuse Rowena. She does tend to get carried away with her explanations. Also, there is no need to call us Lord or Lady. We are related after all. If you insist on titles, Grandfather, Grandmother, or Aunt and Uncle will suffice; though we would just rather you call us by our given names."

"We have thought long and hard about whom we want to sponsor," spoke up Godric. "Lord Potter has the blood of both me and Salazar in his veins. However, we have watched you all and feel that Helga will be his sponsor for the school due to his loyalty in those he calls family and friend. Lady Lovegood has the blood of Rowena in her veins, but we felt that Salazar will make a great sponsor for her due to her unique outlook on life. Scion Bones has the blood of Helga in her, but we felt that Rowena will be her sponsor as the two of them will be able to work well together."

"This means that Scion Malfoy will work with Godric," said Helga softly. "We have read his aura, soul, and mind. While he may be cunning and ambitious, he has more courage in him than we thought possible due to his upbringing. This doesn't mean he was treated badly by his mother, but he has lots of courage and we would like to see it played out more. You will still belong to the houses you are in now, but you will represent your new sponsor. Each of you has something special that we need to bring out in you to save the Wizarding World from total annihilation."

"I will not allow this," stated Dumbledore getting to his feet. "Harry has a destiny to fulfill and he has to fill it. With my guidance and tutoring, he will be able to defeat Voldemort once and for all. He has no choice in this despite what you all are saying. The prophecy.."

"Is nothing more than a fake," hissed Salazar interrupting Albus before he could really get started. "You are a fraud Dumbledore. We will get to you soon enough. For now, these four teens will wear their normal house emblem. However, the emblem of their sponsor will be on their sleeve. Each of these teens will be housed in the founder's quarters. They will have their own private room. The two girls will share one bathroom while the gentlemen will share a separate one. They will all four share a common room. This will prevent spies from both factions of this war from interrupting their normal lessons as well as their private instructions from us. We already have house elves collecting their belongings and setting up their rooms for them. Filius, you have to do something about your Eagles. They have been stealing Luna's belongings and hiding them all over the castle. THIS MUST STOP! Bullying other students will no longer be tolerated in these walls from anyone."

"I will get on it as soon as we are done with this meeting," assured Filius quickly recovering from his shock. "I honestly didn't know as Luna never said anything. I should have recognized the signs. Therefore, when we are done, I will take care of this problem. I agree that there is too much bullying going on in the school and unfortunately it isn't just students doing it."

"While each of us will be sponsoring one of these teens, all four of us will be teaching them what we know," informed Godric. "We are including Scion Malfoy as we wanted a fourth and he has the potential to be a great and powerful wizard. We are also going to ask four live members of staff to work privately with one of the four teens as well."

"This means that all four of you will have to get along with one another," said Sirius to the four teens. "Harry, I know that you and Draco don't get on well, but you need to stop being antagonistic to one another. It's time for the two of you to work together. Things will be happening that need all four of you. The three of us will be here as often as possible to assist you. All you have to do is ask. Can the two of you do that for us please?"

"Of course Sirius," said Harry nodding at Draco. "I'm willing to do what I need to do to make things easier for us. I'm already friends with Luna and Susan. I can be patient and work things out with Draco also. I never wanted him as an enemy. Things just happened that caused it. You can count on me."

"I too, will work on getting along with and assisting Harry and the ladies," assured Draco. "You have my word as a Malfoy that I will cease my verbal sparring with them. I appreciate the faith that the founders are placing in me. This is an opportunity that many would kill to possess. I look forward to learning what they have to teach. I also look forward to correcting any past misconceptions about my character. I know that I'm a bit stiff, formal, arrogant, and many other things, but I can change. I will get better."

Harry, Luna, and Susan all nodded their heads in agreement with the Malfoy heir. All four were curious as to what the four founders had to teach them. Within moments, the four teens put their heads together to whisper quietly to one another about what was happening. Sirius, Narcissa, Amelia, and the founders all smiled at this before they turned their attention to the staff of Hogwarts.

"Let's start with Sybil Trelawney," stated Helga with fire in her eyes standing and pointing at named Professor. "Your great-great grandmother was a true seer. You are nothing but a fraud. You will go and sit at the Slytherin table and await further instructions. I'm tired of you pretending to predict the deaths and other nonsense of the students. If you wish to dispute that, then it sucks to be you. I'm a true seer. I know my business. Do not even contemplate opening your mouth in a disparaging tone to me or I will make you sorry you were ever born. That goes for anyone in this panel of instructors. For the moment, we are in charge and what we say goes."

"We are going to take back our school," said Salazar simply with a fierce glare on his face. "Some of you are wonderful instructors. Others are lacking in a few points. Then there are those that should have never been hired to begin with. Our goal for tonight is to correct all of those mistakes. We will work with you all on a better hiring plan and teacher placement."

"Minerva McGonagall," said Rowena turning towards her. "From this day forward, you will replace Albus Dumbledore as Head of this school. We may be the Founders, and we may have some pull, but when it all boils down to it, we ARE dead. Our magic doesn't work as well as yours does. We are bonded with the school. Getting back to my point, I wish to say the following about your character. You may be the Head of Gryffindor House, but you do NOT play favorites. You are just in your disciplines as well as how you handle the four houses. Do NOT worry about DumDum. He can't do anything to counter what we are doing. Hogwarts and we won't allow it. Please continue to take your seat with the four teens and be comfortable as we lay all of this out in the open. In the future, we do suggest that you listen when a student is telling you something is wrong. Think back to Lord Potter's first year and you will understand what I mean."

Minerva smiled and nodded as she sat nearer to Draco. He gave her a small smile and was happy to see it returned. Harry and Susan beamed at the young blond male with pride. All four students had deep respect for Minerva. She was an outstanding instructor who knew what she as doing. She was fair to all four houses. She was also a brilliant instructor who was passionate about what she taught.

"Chastity Burbage," called Salazar. "I am sorry to inform you that your services will be changed. You will no longer be teaching Muggle Studies. We have watched and waited, but you have no idea what you are teaching. You have never been to the muggle world. While I commend you for getting the proper grades in the subject, thanks to Dumbledore, the information is severely outdated by at least one hundred years. Your new post will be of Wizarding Etiquette. It would be far better for you to teach certain half-bloods and muggleborns how to fit into our society. Please take a seat at the Gryffindor table to show that YOU still have your job."

Chastity stood and walked over to the aforementioned table. She sat there and waited to see what would happen next. Minerva nodded her head in agreement of Salazar's suggestion. It made perfect sense. Having someone who never entered into the Muggle World would not make an effective professor in that subject.

"Rolanda Hooch and Filius Flitwick," called Godric. "The pair of you will join Minerva with the students. Both of your job performances are beyond satisfactory. We love watching Filius teach charms. The students seem to love him and he is very skilled at what he does. Filius will also take the spot of Deputy Head. Minerva, I recommend that you get a muggleborn or squib to teach muggle studies and I suggest that you make it a mandatory two year course starting when the students begin attending Hogwarts until they are allowed to choose their electives. Also make it mandatory that first and second year muggleborns take Wizarding Etiquette to even things out. Each half needs to learn how to deal with the other half so that we have intelligent students instead of students that are prejudice against what they don't know or understand."

Minerva summoned parchment and something to write with and wrote down the notation. She waited to hear what the four founders had to say next. She also noted that Albus and Dolores were fuming, but neither was able to get a word in edgewise as the founders prevented them from interfering. It was apparent that the four founders had enough and were determined to get the school back on track.

"Septima Vector and Aurora Sinistra, you will join Chastity at her table as your job performances are up to par with the times," said Rowena. "Both of you are great at what you do and your students enjoy your classes. We find no flaws in your work performance. Bathsheba Babbling, you will also join them as your work is up to par as well."

"Pomona Sprout," called Helga. "You are one of the best Heads of House that we have seen in centuries. You rank high in our praise for your fairness right along with Minerva and Filius for your ability to look past a house insignia. Therefore, you will keep your post as Head of House for Hufflepuff. Filius, as you are the new Deputy Head, we are not asking you to continue as Head of House. When this meeting is over, you will work with Minerva to find a replacement head for both houses. We still want you to deal with the situation regarding Luna."

Filius and Minerva both nodded before writing that down. The four professors that were being kept were good candidates for the spots of Head of House. They wanted to wait and see what would happen next before making a choice.

"I can't believe that four ghosts are coming into this castle and uprooting centuries of tradition," hissed Dolores with anger. "When Cornelius hears about this, someone will pay for the miscarriage of justice that is going on around here. You GHOSTS have no right to come in here and disrupt the happenings in this castle. As you state, you ARE dead. Traditions do change and with change comes learning. We have the right to make changes as this ISN'T your castle any longer. You no longer hold sway here."

"Let's make this a bit simple for you," said Rowena speaking slowly as if to a mentally challenged child. "Lord Potter, Lady Lovegood, and Scion Bones, the three of you have the blood of the four of us flowing in your veins. This means that Lord Potter has a very strong claim to the castle. However, with the two other heirs here, we are asking all three of you. Do you see a problem with letting us deal with this trash? If we aren't allowed to speak for you all, then there is the option of us closing the school down. Your guardians can send you somewhere that these pompous fools can never find you. There is NO law saying that you have to attend Hogwarts. Even as heirs the choice is yours to go to another school should you so desire it. We happen to know of a couple of schools that would be great for you."

"Please don't stop on our account," said Harry grinning at Rowena. "I think it's time to bring this school up to scratch and make sure that the students are getting the best education that it can provide. I think that I speak for all four of us when I say that we are totally enjoying the show. By all means, please continue to amuse us. Hogwarts is my home. I don't want to see it closed and I can't picture going to another school. I just wish this one wasn't so dangerous all the time."

Draco, Susan, and Luna were all laughing at Harry's words. All three agreed with him to the fullest. Sirius and Amelia were laughing at the different colors that Dolores was turning while a chuckling Narcissa was keeping her eyes on Dumbledore who was also fuming at Harry's little speech. Many of the professors of the school were trying hard to hide smirks from their faces. It would be unprofessional to laugh at the short comings of their comrades.

"We will cover the dangers that have been done to this school before we are done," assured Helga. "There are some people here that are in serious trouble for the problems that were brought here for no reason."

"Rubeus Hagrid," called Godric. "You have good points, bad points, and great points. The bad points are that you are not qualified to be a teacher. You also place too much faith in Dumbledore. He is using you as a tool to keep up with what is going on with Harry. We are asking that you finish taking a course in COMC. This will assist you in getting the proper training when it comes to dealing with the animals that you are teaching the students about. Some of your animal friends are not suitable to teach the children about. Some of the beasts that you love so much are an actual danger to them. They do need to learn about those creatures, but not in the setting you are providing. Your good points are that you are an excellent Groundskeeper. You are great with the beasts even if they are not always suitable for students. Your greatest point is that you love Harry and will do anything to protect him. So when we are done with all of this, you will head to Diagon Alley and get a new wand. From there, you will take a few courses to improve your magic and then when you have gotten your mastery in COMC, you may return as the Professor."

"Thank you," whispered Hagrid as he stood to join the staff at the Gryffindor table. "I love Harry and always have. Lily and James were good people and I loved them as well. I will always protect Harry to the best of my ability."

"Minerva, you will need a new COMC teacher," advised Godric. "Hagrid can continue until you find one. As for the Ministry of Magic, they have no say in what goes on in Hogwarts. More will come out later and you may be surprised at what you hear. All I ask is that you not damage anyone too badly with the information coming out."

"Cuthbert Binns is to be replaced by a live teacher," hissed Salazar in annoyance. "He would bore me to death as he does the students and I'm already dead. I can't believe that he is still teaching when he is dead. All he teaches about is the Goblin wars and every now and then about the giants. Does he not know anything else? Even as a ghost, he can still learn updated history and such. Magical History is more than goblins and giants. Minerva, PLEASE replace him. Dumbledore has been pocketing the money that would have gone to a History Professor. He is skimming the budget and the money you can recover will go a long way in helping the school. This school needs things like more teachers and new school brooms and such. What is the point in asking the students to buy their potions ingredients if the school provides Severus with everything already? That means that Severus is getting things that aren't needed to be bought."

Minerva was furious at this proclamation. She couldn't believe that Dumbledore would do something like this to the school. The fury in her eyes promised retribution to the older wizard. Albus seeing this shrank back in slight worry. It was one thing to hide things from her for the greater good. It was entirely different to piss her off. The only reason he wasn't already hexed until Sunday was the fact that the founders asked her not to.

"Argus Filch," called Rowena. "We will make this quick and to the point. YOU! ARE! FIRED! Get your belongings and that mangy cat of yours and get out. You have one hour before the castle dumps you outside of the wards. I will not tolerate someone of your nature working around the children. You hate them and I'm tired of the threats you are always passing. We are tired of hearing about how you want to use corporal punishment of the students. We haven't hung someone by their thumbs in nearly one thousand years. We have NEVER done so to a student. So make haste and get out."

Argus sat there with a shocked look on his face. He had been in the castle for many years. Now he was being kicked out of the only home he had as well as the only source of income he had. He looked beseechingly at Dumbledore only to find out that the former Headmaster had no say in the matter. Dumbledore wanted to defend him, but the glare from Minerva kept him silent.

"Poppy Pomfrey," called Helga. "You will retain your spot as matron of the hospital ward. I have a small gift for you that I will give to you at a later time. Your care for the students is impeccable. We are also now giving you the right to dock points or give detentions. Your honor will see you being just and fair."

Poppy smiled as she joined the teachers that were staying in the castle with their jobs intact. She didn't care about house emblem. She cured, healed, and repaired any and all students. Of course now she could help those that came to her due to someone being a bully and what not.

"Severus Snape," began Salazar in anger. "You have been abusing your position as Head of House of Slytherin for as long as you have been employed. This ends tonight. You have targeted Lord Potter since the day he stepped forward into this school. HOWEVER, you are an accomplished Potions Master and this school needs you. Therefore, you have the following options. We are going to demote you to caretaker of the castle and you will provide the hospital wing with needed potions. Your other choice is to pack your bags and leave the castle. The choice is totally up to you. Keep in mind that you will not be allowed to discipline the children in any way. You will send a message to their Head of House about their trouble making should you spot it. From there, you will leave it to that said Head of House. Now choose!"

"Potter doesn't listen to anything that I tell him," hissed Severus in anger. "He is egotistical, arrogant, and lazy, just like his father. He doesn't do the work and he gets treated as the person that he is. His grades reflect his ability in my class. I will NOT pamper him like everyone else does."

"NO!" interrupted Harry with his face full of fury. "You treat me like a bit of mud on your shoe. You are NEVER fair to me. My potions are way better than most in the class and you fail me all the time while passing ALL of your Slytherins. Many a time, my potions have been sabotaged or banished because of something that was NOT my fault. You NEVER explain to us in a polite way where we went wrong, nor do you help us correct our mistakes. You place the instructions on the board and then you fawn over certain members of the class. You just verbally abuse the rest of us and then fail us. You even pass Crabbe and Goyle and more often than not, they don't even have anything that resembles a potion in their cauldron. So don't you DARE blame anything on me! I know all about the life debt that you owe to my family. Don't make me call it in. It won't be pleasant for you if I do. Despite what everyone thinks, I HAVE been studying and I know what I'm talking about. You would be surprised at what I know and so forth. So shut up about me, my father, and anyone else you may have a grudge against. Not only is it undignified, but it is immature and uncalled for considering your age. My father is DEAD. Get over yourself and move on."

Sirius and Amelia were looking at Harry in awe. The young Lord finally had enough and unleashed his pent up frustration and fury on the cruel Professor. Minerva, Filius, and Pomona were glaring at the man in disgust hearing all of this. Wands were in their hands just itching to hex him. The only thing stopping them was that they didn't want the teens to get hit in the cross fire.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," sneered Severus. "HE talks like that to anyone who he wishes to and everyone lets him get away with it. He is spoiled rotten and I won't have it."

Severus was hit with no less than seven hexes. Sirius, Narcissa, Amelia, and Harry were four of the ones that sent Stinging Hexes or Bludgeoning Hexes at the man. Oddly enough, Luna, Susan, and Minerva were the other three with wands pointed at the fallen man.

"I will be taking over the potions classes," stated Narcissa plainly ignoring the moaning Severus. "I am not a Mistress of the art, but I know enough to help the students get through their NEWTS. If someone more qualified wants the job, then I will step down. For the record, I will not favor ANY student. I won't even favor my own son. This is the way Hogwarts is supposed to be run. For too long Dumbledore has been going against the wishes of the founders all for his greater good nonsense. This is a school. It ISN'T a breeding ground for warriors for either faction of this stupid war between two idiotic old fools."

"Lord Voldemort will kill you for that," hissed Dumbledore in anger. "He doesn't tolerate betrayers. You being here will prove to him that you are unworthy. It will mean your life. You have just placed a bull's eye on your own son. You know all of this as well as I do. He doesn't show mercy to his minions any more than he does to his enemies. This is why Harry has to kill him."

"I'm not one of his minions and neither is my son," she snapped right back. "He is nothing but a freak of nature. We know ALL about how to defeat him and it has NOTHING to do with Harry Potter. This war is to see which of you two can hold a wand better. So don't tell me what I can or can't do. We will not allow Harry to kill anyone. That will be left to those that are in a position to do so. His job is to be a student and a teen."

"The so called Dark Lord isn't even a Slytherin," remarked Salazar to the astonishment of the room. "At least, he isn't one of the members of my blood. He is from a family that comes from somewhere in Eastern Europe. While the name is uncommon, there are other families that have the name that aren't related to me. He is of NO relation to me what so ever. He is a failure as a wizard. His made up name means Flight from Death in French. We already know about his horcruxes and so forth. We can and we WILL destroy all of them. Harry only has a small part to play, but we will get to that later. It DOESN'T mean that he has to kill anyone. For the record Harry, you DIDN'T kill Quirrell in your first year. He was already dying when you touched him. His body was rejecting the wraith. It just burned him more due to your innocence. He would NOT have died from you touching him. His greed and evil was the cause of his death. One with Voldemort in him can't bear to touch someone of pure innocence. All you did was give him burns. Tom Riddle killed him and not you."

"Severus Snape," called Rowena bringing the conversation back to where it was. "Choose now, or we will choose for you. If we have to choose for you, then you will be severely punished for wasting our time. You have limited time, but we don't. We can and will make you sorry for a very long time."

"I choose to remain in the castle and work with potions for the infirmary," whispered Severus in shock. "I will need a list of rules and duties sent to me. I will work to make sure that the proper potions are done as per my usual standard. While I have no love for Potter, I do take my potions seriously. I assume that you want me to move into Filch's old quarters?"

"Yes," stated Helga simply. "A list will be sent to your quarters within the next twenty four hours. I suggest that you get down to your old quarters and start packing. You have until this time tomorrow to be out of those quarters as they are needed for Lady Narcissa."

Severus nodded his head and left the Great Hall. He knew not to push Harry or Sirius any further. Add in that they had the backing of the Malfoy, Bones, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw names, and you had a force that wasn't to be messed with. He bit his tongue to keep his thoughts in his head as he headed out to move his stuff into his new suite of rooms.

"That leaves the last two troublemakers in this school," said Rowena looking at Dolores and Albus. "Both of you have committed travesties that will see you before the Wizengamot on charges of child abuse and endangerment to a child. Dolores Umbridge, your records show that you barely passed your Defense OWL and yet you are claiming to be an expert in the subject. You are hereby released from the post of DADA professor of this school."

"The Minister of Magic will not allow you to do this," she said with a smug grin on her face. "He will put a stop to this as soon as I tell him what's going on. So many of you will be in trouble for what you are doing here. I hope that you enjoy your old cell in Azkaban, Black. You can rest assured that you will be arrested again and sent back. As for you four spirits, you will be exorcised from the castle as soon as I can sign the papers to make it happen. There are ways of getting rid of all of you. As for Madam Bones, she will be fired for interfering in something that is none of her business."

"For the record," said Amelia before Sirius could say or do anything. "We have a new Minister for Magic as the old one is currently in Azkaban for treason to our society, for taking bribes, and for passing laws that he had NO authority to make. The Ministry of Magic has NO influence on what goes on inside of Hogwarts as was the treaty signed by the four Founders and the Minister of Magic when the school was built. YOU, however, are being arrested on the grounds of using an illegal dark object on students of this school. This IS where the Ministry CAN step in. My niece sent me word that Lord Potter and a few other students are being tortured by you for the slightest of infractions. I was also informed that you are not even teaching the students DADA. Reading from a book and showing them defensive spells and dueling are not the same thing."

"We also found out that it was YOU who sent the Dementors after my godson and his cousin this summer," hissed Sirius. "This will mean that you are more than likely going to be dancing with the Dementors if not worse. Do you get my meaning? A bill has already been signed to reimburse Lord Potter and his cousin for their meeting with death caused by you. You will be paying both teens a fee for their troubles."

"I'm the Senior Undersecretary for the Minister," responded Dolores. "You can't prove that I have done any of that. I am innocent until proven guilty and you have no evidence that I have done any of these filthy accusations that you are spitting out. How dare you try and embarrass me?"

"Oh but we can," said Harry showing the room his hand. "I can even tell the Aurors what drawer you keep those quills in. If they were to go to your ghastly office, they will find them in the third drawer on the right hand side of your desk. You didn't think that I was as observant as I am. I think there are spells that can be used to show who the items were used on. We are in a magic school after all. I hate your office. It looks like someone sprayed Pepto Bismal all over the room. It hurts my eyes to even look at all that pink."

"There are spells that can be used," remarked Draco in a soft voice fighting to not laugh at Harry's description of the office that he hated as well. "There are also spells that can be used on you to prove your words. It won't hurt you and you can prove that she did what she is being accused of. All you have to do is let my mother or one of the Professors pull the memory from your mind and you can show them what she did. All we would need is a pensieve. You can also show them that it WAS Dobby that dropped the pudding."

"We've already talked to him," said Amelia nodding at the teen. "Harry's record is cleared of that offense. He has nothing to worry about. He can rest easy knowing that he has NO record at all now. We also know that he is clear for the use of a Patronus Charm as it WAS to save both him and his cousin from being kissed. This doesn't look good for Madam Umbridge."

Salazar was already whispering something into Harry's ear. Rowena and Helga were standing near them as a sort of guard while Godric scanned the room. When his scan was done, he motioned for the teens to move and then did the same to Minerva and Filius. Harry stood and turned towards Dumbledore.

"Accio, Elder wand," he yelled suddenly pulling out his wand and firing the spell suddenly at the old wizard. "From what I was told, you have had this in your possession for quite some time. It is now mine and I suggest that you don't try and get it back. This is MINE by birthright. You should never have had it in the first place."

As Harry held the wand, a golden glow surrounded him telling everyone that the wand was his and would never change owners again.

"Before we get to you Dumbledore, we still have to deal with the one teacher sitting at the Slytherin table," remarked Rowena as the shock of the current event passed. "Sybil Trelawney, we have decided that Divination will no longer be taught at Hogwarts. Either you have the gift, or you don't. There is no second guessing and making false predictions every time someone turns around. Please head up to your rooms and clear out of the castle. We will NOT be replacing you. Seers are VERY rare and when there is one, Helga can work with them until they are able to go off on their own."

"So you come into the school, throw our weight around, dismiss my staff, and have a student attack me and you think that this is acceptable behavior?" questioned Dumbledore. "I have been in this school for the better part of a hundred years and this is how I'm to be treated? How is this fair to me? I have always done what was best for the students of this school and especially Harry. I don't understand how you can waltz in here and turn everything that I have worked so hard for upside down."

"Shall we tell everyone how much you have watched out over my godson?" asked Sirius in a dangerous voice. "Let's start out with YOU were the one to cast the Fidelius Charm for the Potters. You KNEW who the Secret Keeper was, and yet you allowed me to be arrested and sent to prison for twelve years for a crime that I didn't commit. You also knew that Peter cast the Bombarda Spell that blasted the street. How is it that the Aurors could find all of the other victims and not Pettigrew?"

"That alone will cost you your spots as Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump," mentioned Amelia with unhidden glee on her face. "As you had already lost them when Cornelius took them from you, we decided that it was a good idea to just leave you dismissed from the posts as it is safer for our world that you don't hold any posts of power."

"Then if you will," mentioned Sirius picking up his tale again. "You placed my godson with people who he was never supposed to go to. You had the wills of the Potters closed illegally and then you sent Harry away from the Wizarding World. You left him on a doorstep in the middle of the night and left him there. What kind of animal are you? That by itself is grounds for your arrest for reckless abandonment of a child and child abuse. Anything could have happened to him. The goblins aren't very happy with you at the moment."

"Let's not forget that you placed Blood Wards around the house," added Amelia. "That is illegal here in Britain. That right there is enough to have you arrested. You tied magic to Lord Potter that would have eventually drained his magical core. We have already sent out some ward breakers to stop the problem. Lord Potter will NEVER return to those horrible people. In fact, he won't be able to any way as they are in prison for the next thirty years for fourteen years of abuse."

"We can now move on to his school days," hissed Sirius. "You placed the Philosopher's Stone in the school knowing that Voldemort wanted it. Three eleven year olds got past all of the defenses you set up. Harry met Voldemort and believed for years he killed Quirrell. Let's not forget that one of the obstacles was a giant Cerberus. Thanks to you, all three of the students were almost killed. We have other things that we are going to get to, but for now, that is enough to see you arrested and in front of the Wizengamot. The Aurors are already entering the castle and the two of you will be arrested. I suggest that you make this as easy as possible for yourselves. You will NOT be getting away with any of this."

AUTHOR'S NOTE – First chapter. I will move on to Dumbledore and Umbridge's trials in the next chapter as well as getting other things started. An explanation of the meeting between the Trio and Founders will be explained. I will also be explaining Narcissa in the next chapter as well. Thank you in advance for the support many of you will give. I hope that you like it.


	2. Explanations, Answers, and Punishments

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 2 – Explanations, Answers, and Punishments**

The Aurors came in and within moments, a shocked but protesting Dolores and Albus were placed in magical suppression bracelets. Both were checked for portkeys, spare wands, or any other means of being able to get away. Dumbledore tried to summon Fawkes only for the bird to land on Harry's shoulder and begin to groom his hair. The old wizard was shocked to feel the bond he had with the bird shatter. With his head hanging low, he left with the Aurors.

"Now the four of you have to have time to get accustomed to your new status here in the school," informed Godric. "This doesn't mean you are better than anyone else, it simply means that you are the best of the best and we need to hone your skill and knowledge. We have many things that we will be working on you all with. As Champions, you have the same rights and privileges as the Head Boy and Girl or an apprentice had the school still been doing that. In a way, each of the four of you will be an apprentice."

"There is something about the way the four of you carry yourselves that tells us that you will NEVER abuse this position," assured Rowena. "We know Scion Malfoy acts a certain way due to his upbringing and life. We are here to tell you that it is no longer necessary for you to behave as you do. As long as you stay in the castle, then you are safe from your father until we deal with him."

"The Ministry is currently rounding up all former witches and wizards that were accused of being Death Eaters in the past," explained Amelia. "We have had a boost in the budget thanks to the new Minister and we have expanded the Auror department. We have more officers to work with. We will have each and every person that was formerly accused take Veritaserum to prove that they were innocent. Those that we find are NOT will be sent to a new prison where they will not be rescued again."

"Who is the new Minister for Magic?" asked Harry with curiosity. "None of you has mentioned a name as of yet. Are we not allowed to know who it is for whatever reason?"

"You are more than allowed to know," said Sirius. "We just didn't want Dumbledore or Umbridge to find out yet who the new Minister is. It just so happens that I'm the new Minister for Magic. It was part of my demands for being sent to prison for no reason for twelve years. I have the knowledge and skill to be Minister with my prestige and rank. Amelia is the new Senior Undersecretary and between us, we are working hard to clean up the Ministry. We put Rufus as Head of the DMLE."

"Our first job was to get those that were abusing their positions out of power," stated Amelia to the assembled professors and champions. "We have found some other people in different departments that have been abusing the system and have in fact been working with the Dark Lord. We have had them arrested and we are working on making sure they stay out of his service."

"We have a few warnings for you four," said Helga. "There are certain students in this castle that have been totally underhanded to each and every one of you. Each of you has a so called friend that has been getting paid to spy on you and to tell Dumbledore what you are doing so that he can mold you as he wants you. Dumbledore knew that Luna is a seer. He was working on plans to alienate her from the rest of the school. We already know he has been manipulating Harry his entire life. Susan and Draco have also been under watch by different people for different reasons."

"Who and for whom?" asked Harry with fury etched on his face once more. "It's one thing for a manipulative old fool to do this to me, but it's something else for a supposed friend to do it to me as well. I want names and I want to know what we are going to do about all of this. I don't want someone being my friend if they are betraying me. I should have listened to Draco all that time ago and accepted his hand in friendship."

"Why didn't you?" asked Narcissa with curiosity. "He would have been able to help you with some of the problems we are now facing for you. While these students worked for Dumbledore or Voldemort, they are still students and technically we can't do them anything for what they reported. We can only prevent them from doing so again in the future."

"I didn't listen to Draco due to him mocking me about my parents being dead a few times," admitted Harry. "He didn't make a good first impression on me. Let's also add in that I was impressed upon from the very beginning that Slytherins were bad and Draco spouted off that he was going to Slytherin. I also heard from Ron and a few others that Slytherins were predominantly evil. Therefore, I was a little scared to go near that house and to make friends with its members."

"DRACO MALFOY," hissed Narcissa turning towards her son. "I raised you better than that. If I ever hear you doing something like that again, I will take you across my knee faster than you can say sickle. That was very wrong of you to do so and you will make amends for that. It's one thing to verbally spar with someone. What you did and said was totally uncalled for."

"I do apologize for my garbage mouth," said Draco looking at Harry. "You are so good at keeping what is told to you from affecting you that I used the one thing that could hurt you the worse. I am so sorry that I did that. I had no idea that your life before coming here was so bad. I was in the same mindset as Severus that you were some spoiled little prince that had everything. I had no idea that your life until this very moment was hell on earth. You have my word that I will never do something so crass again."

"You are more than forgiven for that," said Harry with a smile. "Now that we know, we can work together to make sure that we keep our world safe as well as each other. I never hated you. I just didn't like what you had to say most of the time. Add in that Snape always made me feel bad and encouraged you to laugh while he did it didn't help matters. I will learn to keep my mind open about things in the future and learn to make my own decisions based on what I see rather than what I hear."

"Where was the money coming from?" asked Draco with a sick feeling in his stomach, bringing them back to the conversation they had beforehand. "You said some of the students were being paid to be Harry and our friends. So where is that money coming from and have you been able to put a stop to it?"

"It was coming from the Potter Family vaults," said Sirius angrily. "We not only put a stop to it, but we got all of that money returned and with twenty percent interest. Dumbledore accessed the Potter Family vault when he named himself as Harry's magical guardian. We have been able to fix all of that nonsense. I have the new keys to all of Harry's vaults here. No one but him will have access to the vaults from here on out unless he personally adds them."

Harry was fuming in anger at that statement. He took the key from Sirius and put it in his pocket. He was so angry that he was unable to articulate words. Draco, Susan, and Luna were trying to get him to calm down. Even Minerva was having trouble containing his anger. After a few moments, he calmed down enough to speak coherently.

"Who was getting my money?" he hissed through his clenched teeth. "Who was that old bastard paying to be my friend? I want revenge on those people at the earliest convenience possible. I can't believe that someone thinks they are so special that they have the right to get paid to be someone's friend. That is so callous and uncalled for that it makes me want to punch someone for their absurdity. I didn't even know about those vaults. I only thought I had the one. Why is it that I never was told about my other vaults?"

"Very intelligent wording that you have going on there Lord Potter," remarked Minerva with a smirk. "Have you been holding back in class so that you don't stand out? You seem to be a whole lot more intelligent than you let on. No one who speaks the way you are speaking now is an average or below average student. Your verbiage tells me that you are way more intelligent than you are letting on. As for your vaults, I suspect that Dumbledore placed a mail ward around your home to prevent you from getting information from the bank. We will rectify that situation as soon as we can."

"My relatives punished me for doing better than Dudley," answered Harry with a sigh knowing that it was time for some of it to come out into the open. "Therefore, I learned at a young age to hide my intelligence and just pretend to be average or below average. Some of my teachers in my primary school knew what was going on and helped me out. They knew what was being done to me, but they were threatened to lose their jobs and such if they got involved. So they helped me out as best as they could behind the scenes. I would still like to know who was getting paid to be my friend and I'm sure that Draco, Luna, and Susan would like to know the same."

"Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Miss Ginevra Weasley were getting paid to be your friend," said Godric. "As the founder of that house, I learned about that within the last few weeks. They were also paid to spy on Mr. Longbottom during all of that. Dumbledore wanted to know what you were doing at all times. Ronald was also paid to distract you as much as possible from your lessons. That was to keep you from learning to much too fast. Miss Granger was to be the smart one and have the influence needed to guide you back to Dumbledore when the times were right and Dumbledore needed you for something."

"Too bad that didn't happen," sneered Harry. "I'm Madam Pince's favorite student. I'm the only one that she allows in the library after curfew. Many times when Snape has been looking for me, I was in the library the entire time reading the material that Madam Pince put out for me on certain subjects. I'm not as stupid as people think when it comes to Wizarding Customs and my lessons. I would leave a list of topics I wanted to read up on, and she would leave me a stack of books to look into. I also never needed a permission slip to get into the Restricted Section either. It was easier to hide that way. In my trunk, I have a secret compartment with all of my homework done correctly this year instead of what I turned in. I can hand it in to each professor later so they can give me the correct grades."

"Very clever Harry," said Salazar with a hearty laugh. "That is definitely a Slytherin trait. It also let Miss Granger feel like she was the smartest one in the Gryffindor House. I'm very impressed. As for who was getting paid to be Mr. Malfoy's friend it's rather simple. Severus Snape was being paid to not only promote Mr. Malfoy, but to abuse Lord Potter verbally. However he would never go so low as to physically harm you. He was being paid a hefty sum to do so. The only reason we have not fired him or have him arrested is due to the fact that he does have knowledge that we may use to assist you in the future. Time will tell if we have him arrested or not. It depends entirely upon his actions."

"Lady Luna was targeted by Miss Chang and Miss Edgecombe," said Rowena. "They were being paid to encourage the house to bully Luna and to steal her things. Minerva and Filius will dole out proper punishment for the entire house. The only thing we can't do is expel them as they are just following orders of the former Headmaster. However, I see lots of detentions being done and some serious point loss coming up."

"There was only one person in Hufflepuff that needs to be addressed," assured Helga to Pomona. "Zacharias Smith has been spying on Susan. Dumbledore figured that what Amelia did was known by Susan, so he placed a spy on her. Smith was also being paid to be antagonistic to Harry. We know he thinks he is related to me, but he isn't. Smith is a very common name both in and out of the magical world. He is nothing more than a loud mouthed little boy who thinks he is better than everyone else. I think a small punishment and some harsh reality will calm him down."

"The parents will be notified of their transgressions," said Minerva as she finished writing it all down. "We won't expel them, but we may get away with punishing them severely for their actions. We will inform the parents of the role that Dumbledore played in all of this so that they understand why their children behaved the way they did. I will send letters out this evening. It's time for us to take back our school. For too long, it has been used as a training ground for the different factions of the war. It needs to be a school and nothing more."

"As it's getting late, why don't the founders show our Champions where their new suite of rooms is," suggested Filius. "We have more information that we need to discuss and I'm sure the four teens have many questions they want answered. If push comes to shove, we that are in a position of authority can sit with you all while those explanations are done. The rest of the staff can begin patrolling the halls for errant students. We have ignored them for the last almost two hours. It would be in our best interests to actually check up on them. Their safety is still important to us."

"You will see a door right near the entrance to the Head office," said Godric nodding in approval. "That is the entrance to the Champion's common room. The password is Noble. This way all professors have access to these four in case of an emergency. We will help get them settled while you check on the rest of the school."

With that, everyone went their separate ways for a while. Filius headed for Ravenclaw Tower with Septima. When they entered, all of the students ceased their conversations and projects to listen to their Head of House speak. One look told them that there were two very angry professors now in the room.

"It has come to our attention by the Founder of this house that some of you have been paid to rally the house to bully one of your own," Filius stated without his usually cheerful actions or bright smile. "I have been in this school for a very long time and I will tell you all that I am thoroughly disgusted by your actions. We don't teach our students how to be a bully. We teach them what they need to know to be efficient and dedicated adults when the time comes. If this is how you behave now, I have no doubt that the Dark Lord will have more servants when you graduate."

No one dared make a sound. For their Head of House to be this furious meant that all was not well in their world. Everyone that had a hand in the bullying of Luna looked morosely at the floor in embarrassment. They knew they shouldn't have, but Luna never fought back and soon it became a game to see who could hide her stuff the quickest. None of this was lost on either Filius or Septima.

"I will take a full two hundred points from Ravenclaw," said Filius. "Miss Chang and Miss Edgecombe, the two of you are hereby banned from all Hogsmeade trips for the rest of this year and quite possibly next. Miss Chang you will also lose your spot on the Quidditch team as well as your prefect badge. Letters will be sent home to your parents explaining to them what you have done and the actions we have taken against you. You will have a new Head of House as of this moment on. I have been promoted to Deputy Head as Professor McGonagall has been promoted to Headmistress. Your new Head of House will be Professor Septima Vector. My advice to all of you is to meet with your new Head of House tomorrow morning at seven sharp. For now, I want EVERYONE in their beds with lights out. If any of you have anything that belongs to Lady Lovegood, it had better be turned into Professor Vector tomorrow morning. If not, the consequences will be dire. You have been warned."

"Move out now," said Septima. "I shall return tomorrow. If you know of anyone that has any of Lady Lovegoods belongings that doesn't turn them in tomorrow when I meet with you, I expect you to inform me of the transgressor. We want this stopped now. You are dismissed for the night. Miss Chang and Miss Edgecombe will serve detention with me for the next two weeks. See me tomorrow for your schedule."

They watched as the Ravenclaw students quickly left the common room for their dorms. When that was done, Filius waved his wand and created a box with Luna's name on it. He sent a message to each dorm that it was there and what it was for. When he was done, the two of them left to head to the Champion's Quarters. Hopefully, Luna's items would be returned before they made a sweep through the dorms to find them.

Minerva told Narcissa to take the spot of Head of Slytherin House and told her the current password. Narcissa headed to the dungeons as Minerva made her way to Gryffindor Tower. With her was Aurora Sinistra. The younger professor was trying to calm the older one down. Minerva kept it together as she entered the tower and waited while everyone gathered around.

"This is Professor Aurora Sinistra," she said pointing to the younger professor. "She will be your assistant Head of House. I am the new Headmistress of Hogwarts. I have to say that right here and now, there are a few students that I am extremely disgusted with. Evidence has come up that states that some of you have been getting paid to not only be the friend of Lord Potter, but have been distracting him from his lessons on top of it to keep him from doing well in his studies. Now normally, I wouldn't do something like this, but I am not allowed to expel you so I think that a healthy dose of humiliation is in order."

No one said anything at this. Many were staring at each other with suspicion. No one could believe that certain students would do something so low as to hurt another Gryffindor. Harry was the icon of their House and many considered him a part of their family.

"Miss Granger and Mr. Ronald Weasley will hand in their prefect badges to me immediately," hissed Minerva. "The two of you should be ashamed of yourselves for what you have done to someone that has been nothing but kind to you since the day he met you. Miss Granger, you would do well to remember that he saved your life from the troll. It was Mr. Weasley's fault that you spent the afternoon in the bathroom due to being upset. It was Lord Potter who decided to risk expulsion to save your life. Furthermore, the two of you are not going to be allowed to go to Hogsmeade for the rest of the year and next year on top of that. Mr. Weasley, you will lose your place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Miss Weasley, you are just as guilty as they are and their punishment will be the same for you. I suggest that the three of you decide what you are going to do as I am taking seventy five points from each of you. Your parents will be notified of your transgression and I would think that a Molly Howler will be heading towards Hogwarts tomorrow for her two youngest. Let it be known that none of the three of you will be considered for prefect again nor will you be considered for Head Boy or Girl."

"As your assistant Head of House, I suggest that the three of you not leave this tower without permission," said Aurora. "You will each have two weeks' worth of detention with me for your actions. We know what the former Headmaster has done. Rest assured that the money he paid you has been returned to Lord Potter. Both sets of parents will be sent bills for the twenty percent interest you are to repay him plus anything that was not available due to you spending it. I suggest that the three of you head to bed. It doesn't seem like your housemates are very happy with you at the moment. I would ask that none of you do them any lasting damage. It would just cause us to have lots of paperwork to fill out."

"Miss Patel, you and Mr. Longbottom will replace them as prefects," said Minerva kindly to the pair. "Mr. Potter has an equivalent to Head Boy status thus him not needing the badge. Mr. Potter will no longer be residing in the tower. All will be explained tomorrow at breakfast. If the two of you would be so kind as to keep an eye on those three for us, we would appreciate it. Their feathers have been ruffled and they are likely to pose problems. If they cause any trouble, please don't hesitate to send me or Professor Sinistra a message via a house elf."

"As it is late, I suggest that you all turn in for the evening," said Aurora kindly. "Tomorrow is another day and we have much to cover. Most of you have homework and so forth to do. We shall see you all at breakfast. Please have a pleasant night and stay in the dorm."

Together, the two women left and made their way to the quarters set up for the Champions. They entered and saw a mix of all four house colors blending well with each other. Four doors were present with each teen's name on it. Dobby and Winky were busy putting their belongings in place with the aid of the teens. Each had a desk near their room entryway for them to sit and do their homework and so forth.

One by one, the other professors all entered the new dorm and sat on the comfortable couches. Those that didn't need to be present were out and patrolling the corridors. Severus was informed to start a patrol as well. Even as the caretaker, his job to protect the students was still something that he needed to do if he wished to stay in the castle.

"How is it that the three of you got started with the Founders?" asked Harry. "I didn't think the Black and Malfoy families got on that well even if they are related. That the four Founders got involved tells me that too many of you had enough and started to get things done."

"When I heard from Susan what Dolores Umbridge was doing, I contacted Sirius," said Amelia. "I knew he was innocent due to the information that you sent to me Harry. I looked into his file and noticed that he never got a trial. Therefore, I got the balls rolling. As Head of the DMLE, I am able to stand in and do things within the Ministry of Magic. Thus I called for a special session of the Wizengamot and had Sirius turn himself in."

"Once there, I asked to be given Veritaserum to prove my innocence," continued Sirius. "By this time, Amelia told them that they had memories that Harry provided to prove that Peter was still alive. Amelia played the memories for the panel and they unanimously declared me innocent. A warrant is out for Peter as we speak. When he is caught, he will be given a one way ticket through the veil. When the trial was concluding, I was asked what I wanted in compensation for twelve years in prison. I stated that being the Head of an Ancient and Noble House meant that I had training in laws and customs. I was asked if I wanted to be Minister for Magic, and I accepted. That was about a month ago. We had to do something about Fudge and we had to keep it away from Dumbledore. The ICW was a great asset to us in that endeavor. They assisted us in keeping everything quiet on that end. Due to some of the things we found, we had Cornelius arrested and removed from office. It was proven that he was accepting bribes from not only Lucius, but Dumbledore as well."

"We began to work with some of the other members to get them to assist us in voting to have all former Death Eater suspects tried again with the Truth Serum," said Amelia. "The memory from Harry about the events in the graveyard the night Mr. Diggory died helped us immensely. We knew who to go after and we knew what we had to do. From there, we expanded the Auror department and had a hunt for those members named during the memory. From there, when we caught one Death Eater, we caught others. Some are still at large, but we are working hard to catch them all and bring them to justice."

"I was sitting in the Minister's office one evening when the Founders appeared," picked up Sirius. "They began telling me some of the things that they witnessed and heard that was happening around the castle. I didn't know who to turn to other than Amelia and Augusta. We had allies now, but not enough to really interfere here in the school. It was suggested that I contact other members of the Black family. The only one that I knew that was in a position of power to do anything was Narcissa. So I called her and we began to talk. We incorporated Andromeda, but she was only able to do so much."

"He asked me to prove my loyalty to Britain rather than one person in general," explained Narcissa. "He was going to dissolve my marriage for me, but I asked him to leave me there. That way I could help Draco until he came of age and was able to do it himself. Our goal was and is to get some of the other Noble families to work with us to bring about the downfall of Voldemort. We also want to bring down the power of the Order of the Phoenix as they have begun to lose sight of the main objective. Too many blindly follow Dumbledore without knowing the full story."

"I asked Narcissa to start snooping around to find out information on the backgrounds of some of the higher ranking Death Eaters," said Sirius. "My caution to her was to stay safe. If she needed to run, then she was to come to me as soon as possible. We began meeting at Grimmauld Place and we got Kreacher and Dobby to help. It wasn't long before we started making more headway."

"That's when things started to get out of hand here," said Godric entering into the explanation. "We wanted to keep the four of you safe. It is more than just that three of you have our blood. The four of you have something special that hasn't been able to be released yet."

"One day I made a prophecy about four teens that would bring about the renewal of the school," said Helga. "Rowena and Salazar were with me when I made it. It was said that four of Noble blood would ban together to bring about the downfall of one dark as night and one that hides in the light. I also prophesized that the four would become two soul bonded couples."

"We know that she was referring to the four of you," said Rowena. "There is no doubt about it. You are the first four nobles that have given us the signs we were looking for. Harry doesn't think badly of Luna when she talks about her strange creatures. Something in his mind is telling him that it is more of a defense mechanism than anything else. He is right. She only acts like that to stay out of the lime light."

"Together Draco and Susan can make changes for the wizarding world," stated Salazar. "Both have impeccable bloodlines with knowledge of generations of witches and wizards to draw upon. Now that is not a slight on Harry and Luna. THEY will be needed more for the school while the other two will be needed in the political games."

All four teens were nodding in understanding. They knew what was being said. It made the most sense for some of the things that were being presented. There were still a few questions that Harry wanted answered.

"What's going to happen now?" he questioned. "The Dark Lord will know that you are taking his followers. Won't that cause him to act out and become unruly again? We don't want to go to war with him just yet. We don't have enough power to stop him. What do we do?"

"The four of you do nothing at all," said Sirius plainly. "Finish your schooling and let us worry about the Dark Lord. He will fall. We know some of what he has done and we have a team going out to put a stop to it. We just have to find them all. There is one in this castle. We wouldn't have known had I not found one in Grimmauld Place."

"What did you find?" asked Draco with curiosity. "What could cause that many problems for the wizarding world that would make the Dark Lord feared so much?"

"He created Horcruxes," answered Luna before anyone else could. "He has made multiple ones. Harry destroyed one in his second year. With the locket gone, that leaves a few more out there. There are five more, but I can't see them clearly. Yes there is one here in the castle. Something tells me there is more than one here, but like I said, it is fuzzy. I think it has something to do with the dark magic that was used to create them."

"More than likely," said Godric. "Let it be known that Lord Potter will be taking his place on the panel of the Wizengamot. He will not be able to attend all functions until he graduates, but he can attend a good many of them during the summer, holidays, and weekends. An escort will take him where he needs to go for his protection. We will not allow it to interfere with his school work. We want him to know that his studies are more important than anything else."

"He WILL need to attend the trials of Dumbledore and Umbridge though," said Sirius apologetically to Minerva. "I can always hire a tutor for him for his missed classes if you wish Headmistress."

"That will not be necessary," assured Minerva. "I can always tutor him myself. I need you to find Remus for me and have him come back as DADA Professor. I also need a replacement for me for Transfiguration. So until further notice, I will attempt to teach and run the school while a suitable replacement is found."

"Professor Grubbly-Plank can always do COMC," interjected Harry thoughtfully. "She is knowledgeable in the field and she is easy to learn from. This way, even Hagrid can sit with her and learn by observing what she does during lessons. We can always get HIM a tutor if we have to."

"Excellent thinking Harry," said Minerva happily. "Twenty points to Gryffindor. That is just what we are going to do. Please keep us informed if you have any more ideas. That was brilliance at its best."

The other teens were laughing at Harry's red face. He hadn't been praised like that in a long time. He thought quickly to what else he could come up with and had a sudden spell of inspiration.

"Isn't Arabella Figg a squib?" he asked and got a nod in return. "Well then why not ask her to teach muggle studies. Who better to teach that than someone who has lived their entire lives in that world while still on the fringe of the magical one? This will kill another problem now that Professor Burbage is the Wizarding Etiquette professor."

"Excellent idea Mr. Potter," said Filius happily. "Take another twenty for that idea. You are getting the hang of using your mind. I have no doubt that you will be giving the Ravenclaws a run for their money in grades soon. Do make sure that you stop holding back."

"The Sorting hat said I would fit into all four houses easily," admitted Harry. "Due to what I heard and what I felt that others wanted, I asked it to place me in Gryffindor. I should have just let it place me where it wanted. I know that no matter what house I would have ended up in, my parents and Sirius would have been proud of me."

"Well said Harry," said Narcissa smiling. "I knew your parents. You are one hundred percent correct in that they would have been proud of you no matter where you ended up at. I look forward to seeing what you do in potions now that you don't have Severus breathing down your neck or Slytherin's sabotaging your work. Like the rest, I sense a change in the line of marks with you leading the pack."

"I'll do my best," grinned Harry to the amusement of the rest. "Now that we have some of this done, I think we should head to bed. It's rather late, and I don't know about these three, but my brain is tired from all of the information we absorbed tonight."

Laughing the professors stood and after wishing them a good night, they left the teens to get ready for bed. Smiling at one another, the teens all entered their rooms and with a soft sigh, they got ready for bed.

Sirius and Amelia left the castle soon after. They both knew that Minerva, and the Founders would keep everyone safe. Sirius headed out to Grimmauld Place and told Kreacher and Remus what transpired at the castle.

"Does Master Harry need Kreacher to do anything for him?" asked the old elf. "Kreacher would be happy to help him."

"No thank you," said Sirius kindly. "However, there is something that you can do for me. I need you to go to Number Four Privet Drive in Surrey and see if Harry left anything in that house. He won't ever be going back to that hell hole. I will have Lady Bones file all of the paperwork. If possible, take down any and all wards you find. If you can't do it, just let me know and we can hire someone to do so. As a bonus to you, you may cause whatever havoc you wish provided that no one gets hurt. Make their lives miserable for us would you?"

"Kreacher is happy to do that Master Sirius," said the excited elf. "Mistress and Kreacher have been talking, and we are glad you have brought pride and light to our name. Kreacher will get some ideas from her on how to make the muggles miserable without harming them. Kreacher is happy to do it."

Remus and Sirius laughed as the elf trotted out of the room to go speak with Walburga. They listened as the elf and painting came up with some ideas that would have the fabled Marauders and Weasley twins blushing in embarrassment as amateurs.

The next morning, the school was astounded when they were all told that everyone needed to report to the Great Hall by no later than seven thirty for breakfast and a school meeting following. The students all made it to the Great Hall with curiosity. Upon reviewing the hour glasses, people were shocked to see that Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were almost out of gems in their hourglasses. They were also shocked to see Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Susan Bones, and Luna Lovegood sitting together at the Hufflepuff table eating together and chatting amicably.

"Draco what are you doing over there?" hissed Pansy in annoyance. "You are sitting with a blood traitor, one who is Looney, and a half blood. Where is your sense of pride? Come back and sit with us where you belong. You will cause us to get a bad name by associating with losers like those three."

"Let's see," said Harry standing up bringing the full attention of the staff to the situation. "That will be ten points from Slytherin for insulting Luna. Her name is NOT Looney. If I hear anyone saying it again, it will mean detention. I will take ten more points from Slytherin for calling Susan a blood traitor. She is a remarkable young lady that has a high standing in this community as she is one from a Noble House and has the blood of Helga Hufflepuff in her veins. I will take ten more points for calling me a half blood when you have no idea as to what you are talking about. Last but not least, I will take ten more for insinuating that we are beneath you when you are no better than anyone else in this school. Draco is allowed to sit wherever he wishes and with whom he wishes. My advice to you is to sit down and for once, mind your own business."

"You can't take points from me Potter," she snapped back. "Only prefects, Head Boy and Girl, and Professors can do that. For the record, my blood is better than yours, so you better watch what you say to me or I'll make you sorry you were ever born."

"Let's have another one hundred points from Slytherin for that remark," said Minerva standing and getting involved. "Now is as good a time as any for me to tell you what is going on. Dumbledore is no longer in control of this castle. I am. Professor Flitwick is the new Deputy Head. Lady Malfoy is the new Head of Slytherin. Professor Vector is the new Head of Ravenclaw, and Professor Lupin is the co-head of Gryffindor House with Professor Sinistra. Lord Harry Potter, Lady Susan Bones, Lady Luna Lovegood, and Scion Draco Malfoy are all equal in status to that of an apprentice here in the school. This means that all four of them have the right to take points and give out detentions. Lady Luna has Ravenclaw blood, Lady Bones has Hufflepuff blood, and Lord Potter has both Gryffindor AND Slytherin blood in his veins. After a bit of research in the Head office, I have discovered that Lily Evans was NOT a muggleborn. She is from the Slytherin line. We all know that the Potters are descendants of Gryffindor."

"We also have some other changes to announce," said Filius. "Severus Snape is no longer a professor in this school. He has replaced Mr. Filch as caretaker. Anyone witnessing him taking his anger out on a student is to report it to a professor immediately."

The staff all gave the students a list of the changes that had been made the night before. The Heads of House had worked for the better part of two hours that night with the Founders to implement new ideas and better ways of doing things. Some of the students grumbled about it, but were immediately silenced from a furious look from Minerva.

"Headmistress," called Neville nervously from the Gryffindor table. "My Gran can come and help with the younger years for Transfiguration until you find a permanent replacement if you want. I can ask her. She is always saying she wants something to do. She can come and teach first through fourth year freeing up some of your time."

"Please ask her for me Mr. Longbottom and take ten points for the suggestion," said Minerva kindly to the shy boy. "That would definitely help me out. I have much work to do to fix this school from where it was just last night."

"So what happened with Professor Dumbledore?" asked a Hufflepuff hesitantly. "This is all of a sudden and Professor Umbridge is missing as well. I don't want to be nosey, but everything is so different since last night."

Minerva looked to Harry and his three companions and saw him shrug. That was the signal to tell her that some of the information needed to come out.

"Dumbledore hid me away from the wizarding world when my parents were killed," said Harry softly though everyone could hear him. "He has been using my vaults for his own personal use. He placed me with abusive muggles and didn't bother to make sure I was ok. Last but not least, he was paying certain students in this school as well as a former professor to either harm me emotionally, academically, or to spy on me and my three companions. The Ministry had enough of that and had him arrested. You will hear about it soon in the Daily Prophet. We have four guests in the castle that will be training Draco, Luna, Susan, and me in certain things. If you don't see us in class for whatever reason, please don't be alarmed. That just means that one of the founders is working with us. We will still attend classes with you all, just not all the time."

"Professor Umbridge was arrested last night for using illegal dark items on the students," said Minerva. "If anyone else besides Lord Potter has had detention with her and you were forced to do lines using a Blood Quill, please give your name to your Head of House. This means that when you used the quill, your hand started to bleed and words appeared in your skin. It was also proven that she sent dementors to Lord Potter's home in hopes of giving him the Dementor's Kiss. This is all that you need to know about this. We have already told you more than we intended. I suggest that you concentrate on your studies."

"We will be putting a stop to all of the bullying that is going on in the school," said Draco. "Harry, Luna, Susan, and I have decided that every time we hear the word mudblood, blood traitor, or any variation thereof, we will deduct fifty points from your house. Times are changing and you need to change with them. Lord Slytherin said it last night. Everyone with magic is special. It doesn't matter who your ancestors are. You were given this gift for a reason. It's time that we stop belittling others just because some have more money than others, or certain people in their family tree. Both Harry and I have the Black family in our tree. Harry has two founders in his family tree, and he NEVER calls anyone down due to their blood status. IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE! A magic user is a magic user plain and simple."

"Take twenty well-earned points for Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy," called Minerva. "That is a policy that we will also be enforcing as staff here at Hogwarts. One more thing before we allow you to finish your meal and head out for your day. The Four Founders will be around and watching. You can bet that they will assist in keeping you all safe. If I notice too many points being deducted to many times for certain students, you can bet we will take a harder form of punishment with you. You have been warned. Do enjoy your meal."

Harry and his new dorm mates knew that things would get very interesting in the next few days as parents learned about the shift in power inside of the school. Harry didn't want the power. He just wanted to fit in. Looking at his companions, he knew that he would more than likely have a hard time here and there, but for the most part, he would have some kind of quiet life that he had been wanting. Seeing some of the dirty looks thrown at him was not something he worried about that often. He knew that there was nothing that anyone could really do about it. The twins gave him a hearty greeting when he passed by. Smiling, he greeted them back with open affection.

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all shot Harry a dirty look as he passed by. He gave one back to them that caused all three to look down quickly. They knew he knew and they knew he was pissed. There was no more chance for failure. This time, Harry was the one that was in control and all three knew it. Harry headed out to the lake to sit in the sun and get some of his reading done. He had met with Madam Pince and she told him to take a few books with him to sit and get some sun.

"You are too pale," she admonished him. "Take these four books and go sit outside in the sun and read. There is no reason for you to stay shut in the library all the time. These books are on the history of the four houses. I will look and see if we have some on the Ancient and Noble Houses, but I think that Dumbledore had them removed. We may have to get Lord Black or Lady Bones to see if you have some in your family vaults. All families from the Ancient Families have them. For now, go and get some fresh air. It will make you feel better."

Harry smiled at her and took her advice. He knew she meant well. So within a few minutes, he was sitting under his favorite tree reading. From time to time, someone would come and sit with him for a while, but for the most part, people left him alone. The professors kept a close eye out in case of trouble, but they too seemed to sense that Harry was alright for the moment. Everyone knew that until the Dark Lord was stopped and Dumbledore and his cronies were stopped, that life for the young man was long in coming before it got easier. Now they knew that they had to find five more Horcruxes before they could put Voldemort down for good.

Each person that was in the know knew that they could only do what they could and nothing more. Now that Harry knew the Prophecy was a fake, he could live a little easier knowing that his life was somewhat able to be lived in peace.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – I was going to do Dumbledore's trial, but I put loads of information in this chapter. I will do it in the next chapter. Also we will hear about the demise of the Toad. Let me know what you think please. Thanks in advance for the support.


	3. Lessons Begin Anew

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 3 – Lessons Begin Anew**

The weekend ended and classes resumed. Thankfully, Minerva got a reply from Arabella, Augusta, and Remus about taking over classes in the school that were lacking professors. Remus had already arrived the day following the enlightenment. He resumed his post as DADA professor and had already gotten the school books for all of the students to use. Of course, each student had to pay for them, but they were reimbursed for the book that Umbridge made them get. Each knew that it wasn't fair to the student that Umbridge was dense. They were still lacking a History of Magic Professor, but this was solved when the Founders stepped in and took over the class. Whichever of the four was available would teach the class at that time.

Harry made it down to the dungeons for his first potions class with Narcissa with happy anticipation on his face. She was standing in the front of the class waiting patiently for all of the students to arrive. She noticed that while all of the Gryffindors arrived, that three of the Slytherin students hadn't made it to class yet. Ten minutes after class started, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle all walked in and nonchalantly made their way to their seats. Each had a sneer on their faces telling the Gryffindors that they were better than everyone else.

"Class started ten minutes ago," said Narcissa in annoyance to the trio. "While Severus may have allowed you to be late and not feel repercussions, I have no compassion for tardiness nor will I favor you just because I'm the Head of Slytherin House. Therefore, I will take ten points each from you three for your tardiness. You will also report to my office at seven this evening for a detention. Sit down and get your stuff ready so that I may begin class. Thanks to you, we are behind schedule."

Narcissa shot a look at the three telling them to not cross her. They sat down quickly and began to pull their items out and get set up. With one more annoyed look at them, Narcissa began the class.

"Now, as we are all here, the potion we are making today is the Draught of Peace," she stated. "You must be careful with this potion as one wrong move and the potion will become a poison. I will be walking around the room to assist you if you need it. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need help. You will never learn if you don't ask questions. You have just over an hour, so please begin. The instructions are on the board."

Harry raised his hand to get her attention. She moved over to him immediately.

"Is there a possibility that you could create two more boards and put them on the sides of the room?" he asked with curiosity. "The reason I ask is that usually I sit in the back and it's hard to see the board from there when the fumes start rising into the air. I think that it would be beneficial to those that are sitting in the back if they could see the board better. I'm not the only one that wears glasses."

"Hmm," Narcissa hummed thoughtfully before flicking her wand and creating two boards. "That is an excellent suggestion. If I make them mobile, we can move them to the side when we don't need them. Take five points for Gryffindor. That is a great idea."

She flicked her wand again and had the satisfaction of seeing the boards move into place and the lesson appear on each. With a smile of gratitude towards Harry, she moved amongst the students to assist them with their potions. Harry and Draco got their supplies and worked side by side. Harry was actually doing better now that Severus wasn't there punishing him for being alive. He was working steadily with a helpful hint from Draco or Narcissa from time to time. Even Neville was doing better now that his fear of the former professor was gone and he could relax.

Harry was sitting there when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something fly towards his cauldron. He wasn't the youngest seeker of the century for nothing however. He caught it before it could land in either his or Draco's potion. He stood up in fury and scanned the room. Narcissa walked over to him swiftly as Draco was also standing there in anger. As the Slytherin seeker, he too had seen the missile heading their way.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy," she stated with sincere concern in her voice. "Is there a problem? What happened to cause the two of you to become so angry? Please tell me that the two of you are not fighting. You were working so well together just a moment ago."

"Someone from that side of the room threw something towards our cauldrons," said Harry pointing and opening his hand, showing her the mandrake root. "This herb will cause the potion to explode and Draco and I could have been hurt. I don't know who threw it, but it was uncalled for and an unprovoked attack on us. We are not fighting with each other, nor will we begin to do so. Our anger is directed at whoever threw this at our cauldrons and not each other."

"I agree with you," she said turning to the side of the room he and Draco indicated. "I want to know right now who threw that mandrake root at his cauldron. If I don't get an answer soon, I will place everyone on this side of the room in detention until I get an answer. You have exactly two minutes to tell me or everyone gets punished for the pettiness of one person or persons. My patience is about at an end with some of the stupidity that is happening in this school."

"Professor Malfoy," called Blaise raising his hand. "I saw who did it. She didn't throw it however. She used her wand and banished it at Harry and Draco's cauldrons. I heard her mumbling to Weasley that she would get even with them for showing her up in class. She doesn't like not being the best and I for one am glad that someone else is getting credit for good work rather than just her."

"Who was it Mr. Zabini?" she asked. "I don't care who wants to be the better student, but I want to know who attempted to harm someone in this class. You all know that potions can be volatile. The very idea that someone would throw or banish something into someone else's cauldron just because they were doing better than them is appalling and very immature. We are here to learn, not see who is better than someone else."

"It was Hermione Granger who did it Professor," said Blaise pointing at her. "She and Weasley were planning on doing something to Harry as this is the class where he was worse due to what Professor Snape did to him all the time. I overheard them saying that Harry was getting too good for his own good and it was time to bring him back down a bit. Normally I stay out of these situations, but I don't want to be punished for something that I didn't do. Draco is my friend and he was in just as much danger as Potter was. I think that it's past time that someone else gets praised for hard work other than Granger and I didn't like knowing that someone could get hurt with what they were planning. I would have said something beforehand, but I had no idea as to WHAT they were going to do."

"Like I have to worry about Saint Potter," said Ron showing his annoyance before Narcissa could speak. "You can't prove that I had anything to do with any of this Zabini so don't bring my name into it. You are nothing but a slimy Slytherin whose family can't decide what side of the war they want to be on. Also, your mother is one of those types of women who enjoy murdering their husbands so that they can obtain their wealth. It's common knowledge that your mother is rich because she killed all of her former husbands and obtained their wealth. So but out and mind your own business. My family follows Dumbledore and things will return to normal soon."

"Detention Weasley," said Narcissa smoothly finally letting her anger show and banishing his and Hermione's potions. "You may also pack your belongings and leave my class. PERMANENTLY! I will not have you abusing my students. Miss Granger, you may also pack your belongings and accompany me to the Headmistress' office so that we may discuss your abysmal behavior. You don't need to be a mind reader to know that Mr. Zabini is telling the truth of the matter. The shame and anger is written all over your face. This is a serious offense that was done today. Had Lord Potter not caught the mandrake, he and Draco could have been seriously injured OR WORSE."

She watched dispassionately as the two of them started to pack away their gear and get ready to leave the class with her. She was furious with the pair of them. It wasn't bad enough they were getting paid to be Harry's friend, now they were actively trying to harm him. What infuriated her more was that her son was caught in the cross fire. She was just as worried about Harry as she was about Draco. She made up her mind that she would help purge the school of the atrocity that was happening in it.

"Lord Slytherin will step in and take over my class for me," she told the rest of the class as she pointed to the way out for the terrible duo. "If something happens, please make sure to exit the room quickly for your safety. If you complete the assignment before I return, then place a vial of it with your name marked on it on my desk and you may leave for the day. Should you not finish in time fill a vial with your potion where it is, and I will grade it accordingly."

With that, Narcissa escorted Hermione and Ron out of the room. Salazar appeared and worked with the students for the rest of the class. Narcissa was fuming in anger as she walked towards the Head office with the two students. She gave the password and marched both of them up the stairs. When she got to the top, she knocked and was invited to enter. Not only was Minerva in the office, but Filius was there as well.

"Headmistress, we have a problem," she began. "It appears that Miss Granger is keen on attempting to harm students now. She was witnessed banishing Mandrake Root into the cauldron of Lord Potter in an attempt to "Bring him back down" as she was head mumbling. Mr. Weasley is an accomplice to the action. When I asked who did it, Mr. Zabini informed me of the aforementioned conversation. From there, Mr. Weasley decided to attack the character and reputation of Mr. Zabini and his mother. I want both of these students OUT of my class permanently for this year. My recommendation would be to keep them out of the same class as Lord Potter or my son for the safety of the two young men."

"I think we should keep them away from Susan Bones and Luna Lovegood as well," said Minerva with a sigh. "Leave them here Narcissa. Make a report to both Sirius and Amelia if you would. I will contact Arthur and Molly Weasley and see if they can do something about this situation. This is starting to seriously get out of hand. I wonder if she even knows what her youngest children are doing. It's bad enough that Percy went through all of that last year with Barty Crouch and his son. Now we have the youngest two causing all of this trouble. It's a shame that the twins are being better behaved than these two. I also have to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Granger about the behavior of Hermione. What do the two of you have to say about all of this? Why are you so determined to ruin Harry's life?"

"I'm not trying to ruin his life," said Hermione with her teary eyes on the floor. "I just don't understand how he is doing better than I am in his subjects now. I have been studying hard for years and in just a few months, he has passed me in every subject. I think he is cheating and I want to know how he is doing it and why. It's MY spot to be the smartest of our year and possibly the school. Harry is just lazy and stupid. He HAS to be cheating. There can be no other reason."

"That's enough out of you about that," snapped Minerva looking down at her. "Harry is NOT cheating. He is doing the work that he is supposed to be doing. You know as well as anyone else that he has had a very bad childhood and he was not allowed to be intelligent. Are you so willing to make sure that you are the best that you are willing to jeopardize his life to accomplish that? How greedy can you be to want to hurt a young man that has already been hurt too much in his young life? Let's not forget the other accusations that have been sent your way and the proof that was found out regarding it. Once more, I repeat that Harry is NOT cheating."

"Leave her alone," snapped Ron without thinking once again. "Potter IS cheating. We just haven't figured out how yet. He always gets everything. He gets to break the rules all the time while the rest of us have to work hard to get what we have. He has all that money and we deserve some of it for what he has put us through the last four years. He cheated and got entered into the Tri Wizard Tournament. You all let him be a part of it. Then he comes back and claims that the Dark Lord killed Cedric Diggory. I say it was Potter that killed Diggory and made it look like he was attacked by the Dark Lord. He is a liar, cheat, and he gets away with everything. You all favor him because he is the Boy Who Won't Die."

A Silencing Spell was placed on Ron as was a Stinging Hex. He looked furiously around for the culprit and found that the spell came from Hermione of all people. He had defended her and she hexed him. He took an intimidating step towards her with his fists raised and was stopped in his place by a spell from Filius.

"Harry didn't kill Cedric," hissed Hermione furiously. "I may not be thrilled with Harry at this time. I may even be jealous of him for his sudden intelligence and enthusiasm for his school work, but in no way do I think he is a murderer. Professor Dumbledore said that Voldemort killed Cedric and I believe him. You have been talking me into so many things lately that I normally wouldn't do. I will not stand by and let you call Harry a murderer. Professor McGonagall is right. Harry has had a hard childhood and now that something right is going his way, all you want to do is make him suffer some more. Professor, is it possible to get me checked for potions, or spell enhancements? I normally DON'T behave like this. I have never wanted to hurt Harry when we were younger. I don't know why I want to do it now. I'm starting to think something is wrong with me. I can't believe that I am acting like this."

"You may be on to something," said Minerva thoughtfully. "You HAVE been acting totally out of character for you. You are studious, but you have never been vindictive and harmful to another student. Normally, you push others to do as well as you do in class. This sudden bout of wanting others to do less than you is disturbing in of itself. I think we can arrange for a visit for you with Madam Pomfrey to see about checking you for any spell damage or potions in your system. If it is discovered that you have been tampered with, we may allow you most of your activities back and leniency for some of your actions. However, if it is proven that you are clean and you have been acting on your own reconnaissance, we will have no choice but to suspend you for the rest of the year. If push comes to shove, we may end up getting someone who is skilled in Legilimency to scan your mind to see what is going on. Do we have an arrangement Miss Granger?"

"Yes," answered Hermione immediately. "I agree to the terms being set. I want to be checked and see if there is a reason that I have been behaving like I have. I can't believe that I would do something so malicious. It just isn't in my nature to be a bully to someone for wanting to do better. I remember what it was like for me at my primary school, and I can't understand why I would want to do it to someone else. Add in that I was literally trying to harm Harry, and I feel like my mind is shutting down or something. He is like a brother to me. It's like I become someone else when I do these things."

"Very well," stated Minerva staring at the young woman with growing concern. "Filius, would you escort her to the infirmary and see to it that she gets a complete exam? We want to make sure she isn't being influenced by something or someone. If you would do me the favor of staying with her until her checkup is done, I would appreciate it. We want answers as soon as possible. If Poppy finds something that she can't deal with, make sure she understands to get someone to come and help her. The school will cover the costs for now."

Filius nodded his head as he led Hermione out of the office and down to the infirmary. While he was leaving, Narcissa stepped back and Sirius and Amelia stepped out of the fire. Both looked inquiringly at Minerva for an answer. Both were looking at the frozen and silent Ronald Weasley and knew he had a part to play in being summoned.

"We have reason to believe that Mr. Weasley here has been doing something that he shouldn't," she stated quickly. "Before I get too much further into this, I need to contact Molly and Arthur Weasley and have them come here to hear this as well. We need to come up with some kind of plan to deal with some of the unpleasantness that is happening with certain students. Give me a moment and I will be with you to explain."

Sirius and Amelia were glaring at Ron. Narcissa had given them a brief rundown as to what was going on, and both wanted specific answers as quickly as possible. Neither was happy with this turn of events. Should this keep happening, then the four Champions would have no choice but to go to another school for their safety. Sirius and Amelia cared about all the students, but the four Champions were a top priority for them. That two of the four were wards of them really pissed them off.

Within a few moments, Arthur and Molly were standing in the office. Both had come quickly when Minerva stated that something was seriously wrong with one of their children. Both parents took one look at the furious Narcissa Malfoy and Amelia Bones and realized that it was something that Ronald did that caused all of this and not that he was injured or sick.

"Minerva, what is going on?" asked Arthur in a resigned voice. "Normally you send us owls complaining about Fred and George. Today we get here and see our youngest son standing there with a spell on him stopping him from moving or speaking. What's going on and what did he do?"

"We will have to back track and tell you everything that we learned last night," said Minerva with a heavy sigh before sitting down. "Albus has been paying your youngest two children and Miss Granger to spy on, befriend, and be detrimental to the learning capabilities of Lord Harry Potter. They have also been paid to spy upon Mr. Longbottom. The money came from Harry's family vaults. We are still looking into the matter to uncover all plots that have been going on."

"The ghosts of the Four Founders came to Amelia, Narcissa, and I and we all worked together last night to clean up some of the academic problems the school had," stated Sirius speaking next. "Each of the Founders selected a student that they are calling Champion. Harry has Slytherin and Gryffindor blood in his ancestry. However, Helga is his sponsor. Susan has Hufflepuff blood in her veins, and Rowena is her sponsor. Luna Lovegood has Ravenclaw blood in her veins and Salazar Slytherin is sponsoring her. Draco Malfoy is being sponsored by Godric Gryffindor as they all see something in Draco that they want to enhance and improve upon."

"We have worked hard to explain everything that we needed to the students so that they could understand that Harry, Luna, Susan, and Draco are going to be in special classes with certain professors and the Founders," explained Minerva picking up the story again. "However, we had a few unpleasant incidences today that need your attention brought to it. A major one happened just a little while ago that caused all of this to be taking place at this moment."

"We are also sorry to say that a bill will be sent to your home for the reimbursement of Harry's money," said Amelia apologetically to Arthur. "It shouldn't be that much from what the goblins has told us, and with the raise we gave Arthur, you can repay it in installments until it's done. I'm sure we can talk to Harry about waving the interest as he does love you like surrogate parents."

"That doesn't explain what my son has done to warrant the situation he is currently in," stated Molly looking ready to yell at everyone. "He couldn't have done something so horrible that he has to be frozen and silenced. I demand that you release him immediately or I will go to the Board of Governors and file a complaint. Consider this your one and only warning on the matter. I will not have my children treated in such a manner."

"Shut up Molly," hissed Arthur shocking everyone with his venom. "As it is, I am already very upset about what we have already heard. If Ronald and Ginny have done more damage, then I want to know what it is and what we can do to fix it. So sit down in that chair and shut up while I work with the Minister and Headmistress and sort this out. So help me, if you don't, I will make you sorry. You are NOT in charge here. I AM! We have important things to discuss and you are more concerned about a Silencing Spell that is stopping our son from yelling at his superiors."

Not being used to Arthur being so aggressive, she sat down and didn't speak. Everyone in the room knew it was mostly to shock at the way her normally passive husband had just spoke to her, but they all hoped that it would last throughout the meeting. With one last glare at his wife, Arthur turned to Minerva for further explanation. Minerva shook her head and pointed to Narcissa.

"I'm the new Potions Professor here," said Narcissa with a weary sigh. "Harry and Draco were working on a potion together when both stood up and were furiously scanning the room. When I asked what happened, Harry opened his hand and presented mandrake root that was banished from across the room. He and Draco were upset that someone threw it at their cauldrons. The Draught of Peace would explode with mandrake root in it causing damage to both of them and anyone sitting near them."

"So far I follow you," said Arthur. "Did Ron have anything to do with it? We know that he has jealousy issues, but I don't understand why he would do that to Harry. That young man is a model of generosity. I can't believe that my children would so something like this to him."

"Technically, Ronald didn't throw it," admitted Narcissa sitting down. "When I asked the class who did, it was pointed out that Miss Granger did it. However, it was also said that your son and Miss Granger were planning on doing something to harm or sabotage Lord Potter in the class already as normally, potions is his worse class due to what Severus did to him before he was demoted. Before I could rectify the situation, your son attacked the honor and reputation of Mr. Zabini and his mother. He called Blaise's mother a murderer that was only after the wealth of her deceased husbands. I immediately banished their potions and removed Miss Granger and your son from the class. We headed up here so that the Headmistress could deal with the situation properly."

"As we were dealing with it, your son called Lord Potter a murderer," said Minerva to the astonishment of Sirius, Amelia, and Arthur. "He claimed that it was Lord Potter that murdered Mr. Diggory last year during the tournament. Miss Granger silenced him before he could continue along that line of thought. Upon realizing that she had done so, he made a threatening advancement upon Miss Granger where upon, Professor Flitwick put him in the position you see him in now. Had he not, then your son would have attacked Miss Granger with his fists. We can't allow that to happen."

"Now I understand the need for me and Molly to be here," said Arthur after a moment of digesting the information. "I don't understand why the Minister for Magic and the Senior Undersecretary are here. Surely this is something that the school can handle. I don't understand their interest in this scenario."

"Normally I would say yes," remarked Minerva. "However, Miss Granger asked to be seen by Poppy for the illicit use of potions on her as well as spells and what not. That is something that the Minister needs to be aware of as he IS acting in the capacity of proxy until Harry comes of age at seventeen. We are waiting for those results now. I have no doubt that your son is not the one that is brewing the potions if there are any in her system, but if there ARE some, he may have a hand in administering them. As your son and daughter are already under heavy scrutiny for past behaviors, we must hold them in a capacity of suspicion until their names can be cleared. I wish it didn't have to be that way, but with their current animosity towards Lord Potter, I'm inclined to think that they are positively guilty in this matter."

Arthur glanced at his wife and saw her look away quickly. From there, he knew what was happening. The three of them were plotting something and it had to do with Dumbledore. He wasn't sure yet, but he could just sense that something was going on between his wife and youngest two children. Their attitudes had changed dramatically over the last few months, and he wanted to know why. He also had the sinking feeling that his wife was helping his youngest children harm innocents in the school to further their persons. This didn't sit well with the normally passive man.

"We will, with your permission, wait here with you all until we get the results," said Arthur with a sigh before glaring at his wife. "I have a terrible feeling that Hermione is under the influence of potions or enchantments. If she is, we will pay to have her system cleaned if it is proven that my children are involved. I don't understand why my children are behaving in this manner, but anything that I can do to alleviate further problems would probably be beneficial to the school. I consider Harry and Hermione a part of my family. Family doesn't hurt family. I will ask that Ronald be released from the spells holding him for the time being. Just looking at him like that is a little unnerving."

Minerva flicked her wand and released Ronald from the spells. As soon as she did so, Ronald opened his mouth to start complaining. The others in the room all sighed in annoyance as he began his proverbial foot insertion into the garbage trap that he called a mouth.

"They attacked me and are making it so that I'm some kind of monster that hurts others for fun," hissed Ronald in anger. "Potter is the new Dark Lord, and everyone knows it. He needs to be stopped before he harms someone else. He killed Diggory last year and he will hurt someone else if he isn't stopped. Add to it that a teacher and a mudblood attacked me and you have some serious offenses to bring to the Board of Governors. They can't be allowed to do that to me. I am a pureblood and I am better than them. You have to do something about this before they all decide that we are less than worthy of our places in this world. Potter can't be teacher's pet all the time. It isn't fair to the rest of us."

Arthur raised his hand and backhanded Ronald across the mouth. The blow was so strong that Ronald hit the floor. He raised his hand a second time and hit his son again. From there, he grabbed Ronald by the collar of his robes and pushed him into a chair. Blood was flowing from Ron's mouth as the anger of his father wasn't something he was used to. Before he got the chance to appeal to his mother, Arthur blocked him from making the attempt.

"Sit down in that chair and don't move until we get to the bottom of this," hissed Arthur in fury. "If you speak again, I will make it so you can never speak again. Harry did NOT kill Cedric Diggory nor is he a Dark Wizard. Just because you are a pureblood doesn't mean you get special privileges. You are the sixth son in a large family. Your blood status means nothing. I have a good mind to pull you from this school and bring you home. From there, we will see just how much you feel important when you are weeding the gardens like a muggle and doing all of the chores around the house without magic. From what I'm to understand, you are already on suspicion of doing illegal activities that could get you expelled from Hogwarts and possibly in trouble with the law. SO SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, and DON'T MOVE!"

"I can't allow you to keep speaking to him like that Arthur," hissed Molly in anger. "He IS your flesh and blood and not Potter. Don't hit him again. He is only speaking his mind after all. Are we so against blood that we punish our children for speaking the truth?"

"What did I tell you about speaking?" asked Arthur in a dangerous voice. "I have a sneaking suspicion that you are in on this whole ordeal. When I find the proof, I will let the Aurors arrest you and not raise a fuss. So you need to shut up and let me deal with this. I have no qualms about doing to you what I just did to Ronald. If you think I'm joking, then go ahead and say something else. I have had enough and its time that some of you learn your place. I'm the Head of this family and you will all respect that or else you can find a new family to be a part of."

At that time, Filius came into the office with a resigned look on his face. He handed Minerva and Sirius a copy of Poppy's findings. He sat down and waited for the ultimate decision to be made.

"So Miss Granger was partially right," said Minerva. "She has potions in her system that is keyed to make her react badly to Lord Potter. They are keyed to Ronald and will cause her to do what Ronald tells her to do. However, she is acting partly under her own mindset and actions as the potions were done in a clumsy way."

"Basically, the potions are acting at fifty percent capacity from what they are supposed to be doing," said Filius. "They are enhancing Miss Granger's jealousy and with certain hints and subliminal suggestions, she is acting in a certain way. It is obvious that the potions are not made correctly due to the inconsistency of her reactions. She does have a small amount of dislike and hatred towards Lord Potter, but the potions are making her behave slightly more irrationally than she would have otherwise."

"How do you know this?" asked Arthur. "How is it that the potions are not what they are supposed to be? Some of this isn't making any sense. Who told you about the reactions of these potions?"

"Severus was working in that area of the castle and we asked him for his opinion as a Potions Master," stated Filius with a sigh. "Ronald is not that proficient to make this type of potion. The only reason he is even passing potions is thanks to Miss Granger. Severus is a hard person to please in potions, but he is knowledgeable in the field. Now your daughter on the other hand is skilled in potions to an extent that she CAN make this potion even if it is a bit sloppy. It may be best that we question the two of them in a more serious manner. We need to find out just how far all of this goes and to whom it ends up at. I suggest that we collect your daughter and subject the two of them to Veritaserum so that we can find out many of these answers and so forth. We need to know who is behind this."

"I also suggest that you get your children checked for outside influence as well," remarked Sirius with a thoughtful look on his face. "The potion being described isn't THAT difficult to make even if it is illegal. However, if they are under the influence of magic or potions themselves, they may have made a mistake somewhere."

"The other problem may be that the potion used on Miss Granger was keyed to more than one person. That would have made it almost impossible for her to function under her own steam," said Narcissa contributing to what she knew about potions. "I'm nowhere near in the league that Severus is, but I do know that if a person is under the influence of a Compulsion Potion that is keyed to too many people, it will have an adverse reaction causing the person to do things out of the normal. However, if the potion is botched and is keyed to, to many, then she would still have had some control over her actions despite the influence."

"Send for Severus and have someone gather Miss Weasley for us," said Minerva with conviction. "We will get to the bottom of this today. I want an end to all of this. I will not have my students subjecting others to potions and whatnot. I want my students to be safe and sound and not have to worry about whom is doing what to them and so forth. Arthur, I would like your permission to administer the Truth Serum to your youngest two children."

"You have it," said Arthur with a sigh. "I think we will find out more than we bargained for with this. I agree that this does need to end today. More than likely, I will withdraw my youngest two from Hogwarts if they are not guilty enough to be punished by law. I don't want them to think that they can continue to hurt other students."

"NO," said Molly quickly. "I won't allow you to do that to our children. That is illegal to use the Truth Serum on minors. You can't subject your own children to this."

"As I am the Head of House, I can allow it," snapped Arthur. "It is obvious that something major is going on in all of this and I want an end put to it TODAY. Minister, you have my permission to use Veritaserum on Ron and Ginny so that we can see who is behind the plots going on. Despite what my wife wants, we want to get to the bottom of this today. I want to find out how much my family knows and why they were doing it."

Sirius nodded as Minerva was already sending a patronus to Severus to collect Ginny and a bottle of Serum and to meet them in the Head office. It wasn't long before the pair appeared. Ginny took one look at her furious father and paled. She knew right then and there that this wasn't going to be pretty.

"The two of you will be given the Truth Serum by Severus," hissed Arthur. "For your sakes, you had better not be guilty of what we suspect. If you are, then you will get no sympathy from me with regards to the type of punishment that the two of you get for what you are doing to students within this school."

Minerva nodded to Severus who approached Ronald and Ginny and gave them the prescribed dosages of the serum. He stepped back and showed everyone that he had the counter for when it was called for.

"Did either of you make the potion that was given to Miss Granger?" asked Minerva. "If you did, I want you to tell me why you did it and what the purpose of the potion was.

"Yes," said Ginny. "I made the potion and Ron slipped it into her morning juice. She already wanted to teach Potter a lesson, and mum said this would help pin the blame on someone other than us if we keyed the potion to us. We added hairs from both me and Ron to the potion so that we could both get her to do damage to Harry. Ron had more of an opportunity as he always hung out with her and Potter."

"So your mother knew about the potion?" Arthur asked. "Did anyone else know about the potion?"

"Mum gave us the recipe," said Ron. "Ginny is better in potions than I am, so she brewed it. Dumbledore told us that there were certain rooms in the castle that no one ever goes to anymore. We have been using an old abandoned classroom on the fourth floor to brew the potions. We have been careful to not get caught."

"Where have you been getting the ingredients for the potion?" asked Minerva. "They are not in your standard potion kit. You had to have been getting them from somewhere. I want to know where."

"We have been taking turns stealing them from the potions cabinet in the potions classroom," said Ginny. "For those that we didn't have, mum sent us. We have been making the potion and putting it in stasis so that we have it to give to Granger. We were hoping to get some to Harry, but with him changing dorms, we had to use someone else. We were hoping to get Longbottom and have him help us."

"So let me see if I have all of this," exclaimed an angry Sirius. "Miss Granger wanted to get even with Harry for doing better than her. She was in on the plan to do something to him, but the two of you with your mother decided to take matters into your own hands and concoct a plan to hurt Harry physically as well as emotionally. While Miss Granger is acting under the influence of a potion, she is somewhat thinking rationally enough to come up with plans to harm the Lord of an Ancient and Noble House. Is this about correct?"

"Yes," said Ronald. "Dumbledore told us that if we get Harry weaker than he already is, we would receive a bonus to our vault. He also said that if we keep him dumber than normal that we would also get paid more. Hermione is the one that was thinking about what types of potions could do something to someone. We just took one of her thoughts and discussed it with mum. She told us that the potion we were working on should help us get all of the blame on Granger while we were collecting money on the side. Dumbledore wanted Hermione out of the way after it was done. He feels that she isn't stable enough to continue to be used to help us."

"Miss Granger will be suspended for this and restitution will need to be made," sighed Minerva. "Even though she only thought of ideas, she was still thinking about hurting others. That these two made her thoughts a possibility is neither here nor there. I'm afraid that Ronald and Ginevra will be expelled and their wands will be snapped. Miss Granger's wand will be confiscated until the start of next school year. She will have to repeat her fifth year. I really wish it didn't have to come down to this, but my hands are tied. What happens to you with regards to the Ministry is up to Lord Black and Lady Bones."

Everyone turned to Sirius. He stood there for a few moments thinking about what they were allowed to do to the two teens. Neither was old enough to be placed in Azkaban, but they were plotting the downfall of a prominent member of society. He looked to Amelia who nodded her head in understanding at his dilemma. She knew that he wanted to throw the book at all of them.

"Here is what we are going to do," he hissed using his prestige and height to be more impressive. "We will call this a learning day for the students. Molly Weasley will be arrested on the charge of conspiracy to harm the Lord of and Ancient and Noble family. We will hold a trial and see what a jury of her peers and see what they think about what she has done. Ronald and Ginevra will be expelled from Hogwarts. They will be held in custody until we can figure out what we can do with them. As they are minors, we can't arrest them, but we can punish them for a long time for their misconduct."

"We will ask the Headmistress of the school to tell the student body about what transpired here and explain to them what could happen if they decide to follow in the footsteps of these people," said Amelia. "We will also want it known that those that decide to use illegal potions on another student will face expulsion."

"The idea that Miss Granger be suspended should be carried out," said Godric appearing in the room. "She is acting on part of her own steam. A representative of the school should be sent to her parents to explain what she has done and why. Though she was dosed with potions, she was still coherent enough to know that she did wrong. If she is intelligent enough to know that it's possible she was under the influence, she is cunning enough to know that she is not totally innocent in this. She knows more than she is letting on."

"We will not have anyone threatening the students of this school," said Salazar appearing next to his friend. "This is especially so of the heirs and Champions. We care for all of the students, but Lord Potter is being targeted more and he IS our descendant. We will not have our blood threatened again by someone who is jealous of his potential, intelligence, or what he owns."

"We also would like to remind Ronald that he has all of this due to what he lost," reminded Minerva. "I know for a fact that Harry would rather have his parents back than to have all of that gold in his vault. I am disappointed that you two and Miss Granger would harm him just for doing better in his lessons and for what he has in his vault. I personally will be going to speak with Miss Granger's parents and they will learn that their daughter is responsible for much. This will include her taking money from him to be his friend. She has lied to us to try and stay out of trouble and I won't have it."

"Give me a few moments, and I will have the Aurors here to escort our three prisoners off the premises," said Severus. "Amelia will take the wands and for Mr. and Miss Weasley, they will be snapped. Molly's wand will be kept in a storage vault until she is released from prison. The antidote to the Truth Serum needs to be applied and we will take our leave as soon as the Aurors get here."

They watched as Severus gave them the counter potion. When the two of them realized what had happened, they both broke down in sobs. Amelia contacted the Aurors while Sirius took their wands and snapped both in front of the two teens. Molly was also crying as all of the promises and plans that were made with Dumbledore crashed around their ears.

"Minerva," she whispered through her tears. "I know I don't have the right to ask, but can you make sure that Fred and George finish their education? They are innocent in all of this and I don't want them to suffer once what happens is told to the school. They may be pranksters, but they are good boys."

"I will make sure they are taken care of here in school," said Minerva glaring at the woman. "They know just when to stop their pranks before someone gets hurt. While their pranks are annoying, they are funny at times and are never anything serious. I will ensure that they finish their education. HOWEVER, I am NOT doing it for you. I'm doing it for them. They don't deserve to be ostracized for what you and your youngest have done. I hope that the three of you are happy with yourselves."

With that, she left the office and left the Weasleys to their fate. The other professors of Hogwarts also left. Severus sneered at the Weasleys before he too took his leave. Soon, everyone from the Ministry could hear Minerva's voice echoing through the halls calling for the students to assemble in the Great Hall. Sirius and Amelia knew that she would soon teach the students that it was never a good idea to attempt to harm others.

Soon enough, all knew what was going on. Fred and George were more upset than anyone else as they were fond of Harry and protected him thoroughly. Hermione was taken from the Hall and sent to her room to pack. Everyone knew what was going on and Harry silently looked at Draco and Luna wondering how things got so out of hand. Susan was busy rubbing soothing circles on his arm to help keep him from blaming himself or getting angry.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – This is as good a place to end this chapter as any. I hope that it is up to my normal standard. I also hope that my grammar is improving and my conversations are getting better between the characters. Thanks in advance for the support. Also, please keep in mind that updates will take longer due to depth of detail and length of chapters. Thanks!


	4. Sneak Attack

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 4 – Sneak Attack**

Harry was walking with blood pouring down his face in the entry hall. He was determined to get to the infirmary, but was having a hard time seeing where he was going and kept banging into things. The pain in his head was blinding him in intensity. He knew that there was little that could be done, but he couldn't handle the pain alone anymore. For once, he was going to swallow his pride and ask for help of someone. It was one of the lessons that Helga gave to him. As he was walking around the corner, he banged into someone he didn't see. He was barely on his feet.

"Mr. Potter what are you doing out here?" asked Severus barely keeping the contempt out of his voice. "You are supposed to be in your common room as its after curfew. I will have to inform the Headmistress about this. You are going to be in serious trouble this time and not even your fame and will get you out of it. Potter, are you even listening to me?"

It was then that Severus noticed that the younger man wasn't, in fact, paying any attention to him and was barely on his feet. He also noticed the blood running down his face. Swearing softly, he quickly grabbed Harry and laid him gently on the floor pulling out his wand to cast a diagnostic spell on him. He cursed softly under his breath again when he realized just what kind of agony the young man was going through. It was no wonder the young man was in the hall and not listening. He was lucky to even be moving at all with everything that was going on. The younger wizard's nerves were lit like Christmas lights.

"What in Merlin's name is going on to cause this intensity of pain? I hope he wasn't attacked by another student," he hissed as he sent a patronus to Minerva, Poppy, and Filius. From there, he turned his attention back to the young man lying on the floor. "I have a pain potion I want you to drink Potter. I carry them around for all students in case they need one. I can't help you unless you drink the potion. It should help with the headache enough to allow us to look at where you are bleeding. Please for once, just cooperate with me. It will help. I swear on my magic that I am only trying to help you."

Severus held the vial to Harry's lips as he heard Minerva and a few others race to their side. He helped Harry swallow the potion and watched as the pain eased from the face of the younger wizard. When Harry was done drinking the potion, he cleaned away some of the blood from his face so that he could see where he was bleeding from.

"His scar," said Poppy as she helped him. "What would cause it to open like that? Harry must have been in agony for some time for this much blood to be on him. His clothes are saturated in it. He will need Blood Replenishing Potions to help with the loss. Let's get him to the infirmary."

"He's angry," said Harry weakly. "Voldemort is VERY angry. One of his plans has failed and he is punishing all of his minions that are in his presence."

"This is not good news," said Severus without really thinking, at this information as he picked up Harry to carry him to the infirmary. "I don't know what to tell you with regards to the Dark Lord. There seems to be a darkness that is centered in Mr. Potter's scar. I don't know what it is precisely, but you might want to contact those that work with curses to examine it a bit more and see what they have to say on the situation. This isn't something that I'm familiar with or capable of assisting with. All I can do is make sure that Poppy has the proper potions to keep him calm and relaxed while we all figure this out. If the Dark Lord has a connection to Mr. Potter in some way, then it must be severed before he figures out that he can use it to his advantage. The longer this goes on, the longer Mr. Potter will suffer. From the looks of things, I would say that Potter is going to be in pain for some time."

"I don't have a clue as to who to talk to about curse scars," sighed Minerva. "Albus never spoke to me about it and when I asked, he told me that it was nothing to be concerned about. This can't continue. We need to heal him in some way. I'm very worried about Harry and something does need to be done. Things like this can't keep happening to the boy. First his horrible muggle relatives hurt him and now this. If I were in his shoes, I would have caved in a long time ago."

"I suggest that you call the goblins," said Salazar, appearing next to the group with the other founders. "They are experts when it comes to curses and such. They only employ the very best of curse breakers to go excavate old tombs and whatnot for treasure. I have a sneaking suspicion as to what is going on, but I want to make sure. Severus, would you like to join me? I can take you to the Chamber of Secrets, and show you where I hid some of my journals. We may find what we are looking for there. It's not a guarantee, but it's better than nothing. I want my heir back on his feet. Thank you for your assistance given, where Lord Potter is concerned."

Severus nodded his head as he followed the Founder to his Chamber. Meanwhile the others were working hard to make Harry as comfortable as possible. As they were doing that, Luna appeared out of nowhere and joined them. She placed her small hands on Harry's head and began to massage his forehead and scalp. It soothed Harry and he calmed down some. It was enough for Poppy to have an easier time administering a few more potions to ease the contraction of his muscles so that he could rest better.

"Lady Lovegood, what are you doing here?" asked Minerva quietly so as not to disturb Harry. "You should be getting some sleep. It is very late after all. We were about to call on the goblins to assist us with this situation. Sirius and Amelia should be here soon. I have sent them both a letter to come quickly. They can help us with discovering what's wrong with Harry."

"Harry needed me," answered the young woman as if it were obvious. "I knew he was having trouble and I knew he needed me. I came as I can help keep him calm. I figured that you would need my help. It seems that I was right. Harry will have an easier time now that I'm here. I can keep him calm."

"How did you know he needed you?" asked Minerva with curiosity and relief. "He was nowhere near your common room when Severus found him. It's apparent that he was trying to get here, but couldn't make it on his own due to the pain he was in. I'm just thankful that he was found."

"My magic told me that he was in trouble and that he needed me," explained the girl with a smile on her lips. "My magic has been calling out more and more to Harry lately. I couldn't get to him sooner as I was already doing something that needed my focus. I believe the soul bond is starting between us. The Founders did say that the four Champions had a potential or more to be soul bound. Harry has been helping me lately with my studies. So he and I are in constant contact with one another as he is a year older than I am. He is quite intelligent and skilled at what he does. I can see him being a Professor when he graduates. You did get all of the homework assignments he had redone didn't you? He told me he was going to send them to the professors, but I know he gets so involved in things that he forgets. I sent them with an elf."

"Yes we got them," assured Minerva with a small smile. "I'm glad that you sent them. The professors all graded them and he received top marks on all of the written work. Will you stay with him for a few moments? I have to get the goblins to send me a curse breaker from their ranks and Madam Pomfrey is busy doing other things. Unfortunately, Harry isn't her only patient, though I wish he wasn't her patient at all. You seem to have him calmed for the time being and we need to get this done as quickly as we can. If you stay with him, it will be a great asset to helping him."

"You can count on me," assured Luna. "I don't think that anyone will be able to calm him down as much as I can. He needs me and I will be here for him. I know that you have other things on your mind, but I don't want you to worry too much more about Harry. He is going to be just fine. You should hurry though. There are a couple of Slytherins that are going to be escaping the dungeons soon and you will want to catch them. They are going to cause havoc for Draco and Susan."

It was then that Minerva noticed that Luna's eyes were slightly glazed as she said this. She knew that the younger woman was in a foresight. While Minerva didn't have any patience with Sybil, she did know that Seer's were real, if rare. It was very apparent that Luna was a Seer and her gifts felt comfortable enough to work in the presence of one such as herself. Without a doubt she knew that the young woman was telling her something that was positively the truth.

Knowing that Harry was in safe hands, Minerva quickly left the infirmary. She ran into Narcissa and Filius and passed on Luna's information. Both of them promised to keep an eye out on any stray students wandering the halls. It wasn't safe to wander the halls these days as no one knew if or when someone would attack another student. In the following weeks surrounding the Weasley fiasco, other students were secretly sabotaging the others with minimal success. So far, any attempts on the Champions were unsuccessful thanks to some of the protections of other students. That didn't stop those that had a personal vendetta against one or the other from trying. Oddly enough it was the Weasley twins that took up the cause to protect the four Champion. Usually when an attack happened and failed, the instigators were made to suffer many pranks that sometimes were painful to the attacker. On these occasions, the teachers would just look the other way and not discipline the twins for their actions.

Minerva quickly made it to her office and left via the floo. She arrived at the Leaky Cauldron and made her way into Diagon Alley. Swiftly, she traversed the alley and went into Gringotts. It was one of the few locations that were always open due to people working at night and so forth. She entered and was greeted by a goblin that was making her way to a desk. The goblin noted her distress and immediately became concerned.

"My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I am the Headmistress of Hogwarts," she explained quickly. "One of my students is injured and Lord Salazar Slytherin suggested that I speak with the goblins as they are the best when it comes to curse breaking and cursed objects. We need someone to come out and help the student as he is very ill right now and we want to break the curse as quickly as possible. We are very worried and didn't know who else to turn to."

"Who is the student?" asked Ragnok coming around the corner startling her for a moment. "Forgive my intrusion, but I overheard your plea as I was entering the room. Which student is being cursed? It must be severe for you to come out to Gringotts in the middle of the night asking for assistance Headmistress."

"Lord Harry Potter Gryffindor Slytherin," stated Minerva to the astonishment of the goblins. "He is one of the four Champions of Hogwarts. His scar was bleeding and from what Severus Snape told us, there is something dark in it. It apparently provides a link between Lord Potter and the Dark Lord. Salazar Slytherin's ghost told us to contact your people for assistance. He wants his heir back on his feet and the connection broken. Apparently Albus Dumbledore never had the scar checked when he shipped Harry off to those horrible muggles."

"Lord Potter has always treated us with respect," assured Ragnok trying to calm the agitated woman. "That he is the heir of two of the founders is truly amazing. The four Founders have assisted us in building this bank and have always made sure that we were treated with respect and dignity. That one of their heirs is hurt and in need of our assistance makes us angry. If you will wait here for a moment, I will get three of our best curse breakers here in moments. Before I go, do you have any problems with William Weasley?"

"Not at all," said Minerva quickly. "From what we are to understand, he is disgusted with his mother and youngest siblings for what they did to Lord Potter and has made it well known that he is displeased. Is he one of the three that you are going to send to help? Also, from what I remember of his school days, he is hard working and very intelligent. He was Head Boy in school."

"He is one of our most promising human curse breakers," said Ragnok with a smile. "He has great potential and his easy going attitude allows him to work well with most of our kind. Like Lord Potter, he doesn't see us as a creature. He treats us with respect, learns what we teach him, and works side by side with my goblins with ease. He is one of the few human curse breakers we have in our employ. Forgive me for rambling, but if you allow about ten minutes, we can have all three here. Would you object to me accompanying you to Hogwarts? I would like to take a look at this cursed scar myself. When I was a young goblin I was a curse breaker and I would like to examine it as well."

"You are more than welcome to come," answered Minerva in awe. "It has long been seen for the King of the Goblins to come to the aid of a human wizard. I'm happy that you are interested in helping Harry. He is a good person that doesn't deserve what has befallen him. Thank you so much for this. I know that he will appreciate this as much as we do."

Ragnok waved her thanks away and went to retrieve the three curse breakers he promised. True to his word, all three were ready to go within ten minutes. Ragnok himself led the way to a fireplace to use to floo to the school. It wasn't long before they all arrived in the infirmary. Luna was still there sitting with Harry who appeared to be in a slightly half asleep state. She was humming to him and it was keeping him relaxed.

"She has been a gift from heaven," Poppy remarked while greeting the group. "He has been relaxed and calm since she sat with him. She even got him to take a few potions to help with his malnourished state. He has been resting off and on until the spikes of pain hit his scar. Oddly enough, when she touches him, he calms significantly. I'm unable to give him any more potions than I already have without overdosing him and putting him in a coma. At this time, I have no idea as to what we can do for him."

"A magical soul bond," said Ragnok bowing to Luna. "This is indeed a rare pleasure. Soul bonds are uncommon enough, but one that starts with magic is even rarer. I sincerely hope you are well Heir Ravenclaw. You seem to have many of the gifts that your ancestor possessed."

"I'm well enough King Ragnok," said Luna with a smile and dip of her head. "I would give a formal greeting, but I don't want to leave Harry alone any longer than necessary. Therefore I beg forgiveness for not standing to curtsey to you. I fear that if I leave Harry, then his tension will come back and we will lose all progress that we have made in calming him down."

"There is no need for such protocol," assured Ragnok. "Our concern is just as high for Lord Potter as yours is. We are here to work to get him well. If you would just be patient with us, we will need to examine his scar. From what we have been told, his problems are surrounding that. You may stay with him, but the sooner we work on freeing him from the curse the better it will be for everyone."

Luna didn't even bother to reply. She knew they weren't in need of one. She went back to humming and soothing Harry's brow. Meanwhile, Ragnok and his workers all moved over to Harry and began to examine the scar on the young mage's head. The goblins were chanting under their breath in their native tongue while Bill was starting to grow more and more frustrated with what he was seeing.

"There seems to be a soul anchor here," hissed Bill furiously, while his goblin counterparts nodded in agreement. "There is a piece of soul shard in his scar. It's no wonder that he is in such pain. Form what I know and have learned regarding things like this, Lord Potter can actually die from this if the owner of the shard wants to kill him. However, I don't think that the owner of this particular shard knows it's there. The Dark Lord wants to kill Harry. He wouldn't want that if he knew that Harry was acting as a Horcrux."

"That's a term that I'm not that familiar with," admitted Minerva. "I would assume that it isn't something that most students learn. I'm not a stupid person, but I have to admit that I know nothing concerning them. What are they and how are they made?"

"A Horcrux is an item that acts as a safety container for the piece of soul" said Ragnok angrily. "Normally living items aren't used as the host can die. Typically, the host is an item such as a piece of jewelry or something that can be hidden away. A living container has a chance of being harmed or passing on which would destroy the Horcrux unless it's moved to a new container. That Lord Potter is a host for a Horcrux of the current Dark Lord is disturbing all on its own. We need to remove it and destroy it quickly before the Dark Lord figures out that he can hurt Lord Potter with the link that apparently formed between the parts of his soul. I wouldn't put it passed the Dark Lord to destroy his Horcrux if he thought he could defeat his enemy."

"What makes this so bad is that the Dark Lord made more than one," hissed Minerva to the astonishment of the group. "I have no doubt that Dumbledore knows about ALL of this. Harry said that when he stabbed the diary of Tom Riddle in his second year that the image of Riddle died and the diary bled ink like a human would blood. I'm under the mindset that the diary was a Horcrux and that the Dark Lord made more than one. If he made two, then it is highly possible that he made many."

"He has made multiple ones," confirmed Luna with her eyes glazed. "I'm unable to see WHAT they are due to the darkness that surrounds them, but counting Harry, there were a total of seven made. One is already destroyed and I see that Dumbledore knows where there is another one. Also, there is one here in the castle other than Harry. Lady Hogwarts is telling me as much. I'm rather surprised that Harry and Susan don't know. They are heirs after all. We will have to get a team of people in here to scour the castle to find it. Harry may be able to assist us when he wakes. He might have some insight as he can see what the Dark Lord is currently doing."

"With your permission Lady Lovegood, we will begin the process of removing the soul shard from his head," stated Ragnok to Luna. "The sooner we get it out, the sooner he will recover. Headmistress, I need full access to the floo network of the castle so that I and my crew can assist Hogwarts in cleaning out ALL taint within her walls. We will work with you all to make sure that we get every single dangerous thing out of this castle. We can't have the Champions or the other students in danger."

"You didn't even need to ask," said Minerva quickly. "You have my full cooperation to come and go as you need to, to provide safety for my staff and students. We thank you in advance for your help and we will make amends for your time and such."

"I think we can work out a deal with Lord Potter on that one," said Ragnok with a grin. "I have no doubt that no one bothered to tell him that the corpse of the basilisk is his by right of conquest and that it will make him a wealthy young man if he allows us to harvest it for ingredients for him and for us."

"I'll make the deal on his behalf," said Salazar coming into the room followed by Godric. "Your payment for helping us cleanse the castle is half of the basilisk. I'm sure his living guardian will agree to those terms. Sirius is a generous man. I have no doubt that you and your team will find and get rid of each and every dark item in this castle. I can assist you with getting into and out of the Chamber of Secrets. It isn't that hard to get in and such as there is an easy access to the Chamber that no one knows about. I have Severus packing up my stuff to move to Harry's vaults. I have taken the initiative to reward him for his cooperation and hard work."

"I know where the Horcrux is in the castle," said Helena Ravenclaw coming into the room and gliding next to her mother. "I will take William and show him where it is. It's mother's diadem. It's in the Room of Requirement. There are many things in there that are harmful as well as many that are valuable. We can set up two rooms in the castle and move things from there. One room can be used for things that are to be destroyed and one for the items to be split between the three heirs. We can always have a third room for the useless things that need to be gotten rid of."

"Excellent suggestion daughter," said Rowena smiling. "We will make it so. For now, let's concentrate on Harry. He is in greater need right now than the castle is. We can deal with everything else as we go along. He is our main concern. Once we get him stabilized, we can concentrate on the rest of the castle."

At that moment, Draco came in holding Susan in his arms. She was covered in blood and having a hard time breathing. Poppy and Minerva rushed to the young man and between them and Bill, they got her onto a bed near Harry. Poppy was already scanning Susan for injuries and swearing.

"Mr. Malfoy what has happened?" asked Minerva. "You are bleeding also. Was there an attack made by another student again?"

"Parkinson, Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle did this," hissed Draco in pain. "Susan and I were just getting up to head to breakfast when the four of them hexed Susan from behind. Thankfully, I was able to hit Pansy with a stunner. Daphne and Blaise came up from the other corridor and assisted me in subduing the other three. Susan was hit with a Cutting Curse and I was hit with a Bludgeoning Hex. I'm ok, if a bit sore. I'm more worried about Susan."

"This is totally getting out of hand," said Helga angrily. "For some reason, it seems that our Champions are being targeted by the other students. This will NOT continue. I want a section of the castle cordoned off for the four of them and their closest friends. The Four will have private lessons with their professors and us. I want a guard stationed here to keep all four of them from being attacked again. If one more attacker hurts them, then WE as the founders will shut this school down and keep our champions here until there comes a time when what WE created goes back to how we had it."

"I'll station Moody and Tonks here," said Sirius coming into the room with Amelia hot on his heels. "Filius filled us in on what is going on and we have been searching for trouble. We just missed this last attack with what has been going on. I have Narcissa sending word for me to the Ministry asking Moody and Tonks to come quickly. I will also have Filius round up the attackers. Minerva, I think you need to head to the Great Hall and take back control of the school. As your attention is here, the students are starting to get a little wild. I think it would be best that all students be confined to their common rooms for the duration of the cleansing of the castle."

"That's a great idea," said Minerva standing and heading out. "I am at my breaking point with the stupidity of the students in this school. Those four will be out of Hogwarts before you can say Dark Lord. First we have Harry being attacked by stupidity and abuse, now we have the other Champions under attack due to jealousy and ignorance."

The group could hear her venting all the way down the hall. A furious Minerva was not a healthy thing for those that spiked her ire. Soon enough, they could hear her voice calling all students to the Great Hall as mandatory. Sirius turned his attention back to what was happening in the infirmary. Already, Ragnok was bringing in goblins and giving them orders to start searching the castle for any dark items that were in it. He also instructed several curse breakers to check for wards, charms, hexes, and curses within the walls themselves. He made it clear to check the DADA section as the rumors of it being cursed was a long standing story.

Bill and Breakfang turned their attention back to Harry. Poppy and Narcissa were already working with Susan to clean her wounds and make her comfortable. Draco was also healed and sent to lie down in the bed next to Susan. Luna started to hum again and allowed the magic that was in her tune to soothe the four Champions. She had paused due to shock at seeing the other two Champions come in wounded. Fawkes was sitting on the headboard above her head and was listening to her with rapt attention. He soon added his voice to hers.

"This will be hard on Lord Potter's body as we are trying to remove the curse," said Bill softly. "We can do it, but it will be very painful and he will more than likely go into shock. With the help of Lady Lovegood, we can get him through all of this. Now that Draco and Susan are stable and resting, we can give our full attention to Harry. We just need permission to begin. The sooner we start the sooner we will be done with all of this."

"Is this process detrimental to his life?" asked Sirius with concern evident on his face. "Is there a possibility of him not pulling out of this? While I don't like the idea of him having a piece of Voldemort's soul in his scar, I don't want to kill Harry either. If there is a possibility that he can die, then we need to take time and figure out another way. I would rather not risk his life."

"His life will be just fine," assured Ragnok coming back to the group. "It will not harm his life. It will just be very painful for him. It is not going to be easy as, the soul shard has been in there for fourteen years, but it can be removed with no lasting damage to Lord Potter. We are skilled at what we do and I have some of OUR healers coming in to assist. Lord Potter will be in no danger after the next hour or two at most. You have MY word on that as King of the Goblins. Also think about this. If the shard stays, then there is the likely possibility that the Dark Lord will use this to control and continually harm your godson. From what I can see and what you all have told me, every time the Dark Lord has a surge of emotion, Lord Potter feels it. This will eventually affect the way he behaves in his normal life and could possibly turn him into the next Dark Lord or drive him insane."

"Then I don't care what it costs," said Sirius with conviction upon hearing the promise of Ragnok and the explanation. "Please do what you have to do to help my godson. I will pay any cost. Even if I have to give my entire fortune, I want him helped. I don't want him to suffer any longer. His life and sanity, as well as his happiness, are my main concerns."

"The price has already been given by Lord Slytherin," assured Ragnok patting Sirius gently on the arm. "As we speak, I have a team of goblins collecting our reward as well as assisting with the portion that belongs to Lord Potter. You don't have to worry about spending your fortune as we are more than willing to do what we are doing and more for you and yours. We honor the Four Founders as well as the Potters. We are also in good standing with you and the Ministry now that you are Minister. All I ask is that you trust us to do our part. All of this will be over in a few hours. For now, I need you to work with Lady Narcissa and see to the wishes of Lady Ravenclaw about setting up a secured section for the Four Champions away from the rest of the student body. You don't want to be here for the duration of the removal. It won't be pleasant for anyone here."

Sirius sighed and nodded before he and Narcissa left. Amelia and Poppy were already putting up silencing wards around the other occupants of the infirmary as well as blocking the view of what was occurring near Harry. It wasn't long before the goblin healers entered. Soon enough, they began.

At first, Luna was able to keep Harry calm. He could feel the tugging on the Horcrux, but it was starting to become more painful. He began to thrash around in the agony. Luna was moved for her own safety as Harry's limbs were starting to flail and he almost hit her in his pain. She moved to a safer location, but never stopped humming. She also refused to leave the area he was in. She was adamant about staying near her bonded.

"HE KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE DOING," yelled Harry sitting up at one point with a wild gaze in his eyes. "HE IS TRYING TO STOP YOU! HE WANTS TO ATTACK THE SCHOOL! HE SAYS HE WILL KILL EVERYONE THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS."

"You need to help us push out the soul fragment," said Bill above Harry's screams, trying to calm him down. "The more you help, the better chance we can stop him. Don't fight us on this Harry. Help us all you can little brother. We need to get you better. Push him out. Use your gifts of love and compassion for Luna, Sirius, Draco, Susan, Amelia, and your new family, and push him out. Even if you have to use anger, use it to get him out. Punish him as he is punishing you."

"That's a great idea," said Luna halting her singing. "Let him use the anger. Let's not forget that the deaths done before Harry got his scar were that of his parents. Let him use that anger to assist you in pushing out the Dark Lord. Harry needs to get angry enough to stand up for himself."

"I know that Lord Potter is usually passive, but he does need to fight back," said Ragnok. "It's time for him to teach that upstart a lesson about hurting innocent people. He needs to use both the anger and love as a weapon. It will be his greatest asset. He is a Slytherin and a Gryffindor. Let him use his cunning and bravery to teach that bastard a lesson."

"Did you hear that Harry?" asked Bill using their suggestion. "Use your anger at him and push him back. The more you can hurt him, the more you will have an easier time in getting his Horcrux out of your head. The rewards are no more visions by him or having him hurt you through the link. He killed your parents to make this Horcrux. HE has murdered other innocent people to make the others. He wants to kill Luna and Susan as well as Draco and the people trying to oppose him. Use that to push it out of your head. Get angry Harry. Use your power. You have much of it at your disposal. It's time to do something for you for once instead of always saving those that don't deserve it. Try and remember what Ron, Ginny and my mother did. Remember what your relatives did that caused you years of pain and suffering. Use the anger and use the love that Luna is projecting to you."

Harry heard the words. It ignited in him the fury that he needed to punish the one being that caused him some of his pain and suffering. With that in mind, he heard Luna singing to him and Fawkes adding his voice to hers. It wasn't long before Ragnok had Susan and Draco near Harry to add their words of comfort and love to him. He was in pain and he wanted it to stop. He could hear Voldemort on the other end attempting to make plans to attack Hogwarts to stop what was happening. Harry focused on his love for Luna and his anger at Voldemort, and let the two emotions combine. From there, he slammed the power into Voldemort and felt vindication as the Dark Lord screamed and fell to the ground in front of his minions. From there, he focused on the darkness that surrounded his mind and waited. He watched as the Dark Lord tried to stand and hit him again.

The goblins were using their magic and were pulling the shard out of his scar. Harry was watching for the light that would give him the go ahead to push. He finally saw it through all of his pain, suffering, sadness, and love. Once he had the edge, he aimed his magic at the darkness and started to beat at it with everything that he had. Slowly but steadily, the light got brighter and the darkness diminished. From time to time, he had to aim magic at Voldemort. The more he could keep the Dark Lord out of the equation, the more he could win this particular fight. While the Dark Lord was down, there would be no attack on the school. On one such encounter, he decided to let the Dark Lord in on a little secret. He sent the image of the night that Salazar told the room that Voldemort wasn't blood related to him. He showed him the truth behind the matter that he was NOT the heir of a founder and that Harry had bested him yet one more time. He also let the Dark Lord know that the prophecy was a fake and that he was acting on a belief rather than something real.

Harry was tired, he knew his strength was running out, but he didn't know what else to do. His magical reserves were reaching their limit as well. He was better than three quarters of the way done, but he didn't know what he could do to assist more than he was. His body was on fire and he was determined to help all he could.

"Get Severus in here," hissed Salazar. "I have an idea as to how to help Harry. For his own life, he better cooperate with me or it will be the last thing that he ever does. He doesn't know I was listening to his conversation before this was started, and I saw him treat Harry with contempt and disdain. As an apprentice, Harry and the other Champions have the right to be out at any hour of the day or night. Find him and get him here."

Helga nodded her head and vanished. It wasn't but a few moments later when Severus rushed in a little winded. He took one look at what was going on and gave a shudder. Salazar approached him and guided him to the bed side.

"You are going to employ Legilimency on Harry," he informed the man. "You will use your gifts to protect Harry from the Dark Lord. If you don't I will make you wish you were not breathing. I heard what you said to him before you brought him here. You will make sure that he needs nothing. His strength is flagging due to the stress of battling the Dark Lord, and assisting us with pushing out the soul shard. Now get in there and help him and you had better treat him with respect or so help me Merlin, I will hurt you."

Severus took a gulp at the threat made by the Founder of his house. He also saw the determination and fury written on the faces of the other three Founders as well. He knew that they would carry out their threats. Without hesitating, he instructed Bill to open Harry's eyes. Once the younger man did so, he said the incantation and entered Harry's mind.

Meanwhile in the Great Hall, Minerva was flaying the students alive. Filius, Pomona, and Remus were also letting loose on the students.

"We seem to have a war zone here in the castle," hissed Minerva. "Some of you seem to think that Mr. and Miss Weasley had the right idea to harm, extort, threaten, or otherwise cause problems for your fellow students. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. This is a school. You will not earn favor in the real world by harming, bullying, or using someone in school. We are here to train you to be upstanding people, not a bunch of hooligans that are out for their own agenda. The Minister of Magic and Professor Malfoy are creating a special place in the castle for the four Champions."

"The students allowed in the area of the Champions will be carefully selected," assured Filius equally furious. "If you think you will get away with harming another student in this school and we will just look the other way, you have another thing coming."

"We discussed this beforehand and we have come to the following conclusion," stated Pomona with fury. "From Gryffindor, the Weasley twins, and Mr. Longbottom will be allowed near the Champions at this time. From Hufflepuff, Miss Abbot will be permitted access to the Champions. From Ravenclaw, we don't have anyone we trust to allow you near the Champions."

"As of today, Miss Daphne Greengrass and Mr. Zabini will be the only two Slytherin students allowed near the Champions for now," said Remus. "This is due to their timely action is assisting Miss Bones and Mr. Malfoy during the attack from behind by four students."

"Miss Parkinson, Mr. Nott, Mr. Crabbe, and Mr. Goyle will report to the side room," stated Minerva pointing. "The four of you decided to teach Mr. Malfoy and Miss Bones a lesson for whatever reason. Your days here at Hogwarts are OVER. Your parents will be called and you will be expelled. Had your Cutting Curse been just a little bit higher, Miss Bones would have been killed. The Minister for Magic will have something to say to you all when he is done establishing a safe wing for the Champions and their friends."

"We have finished," said Sirius entering the room. "We went with the East tower and made it so that Harry and his companions can house there. If you send house elves to gather their belongings, we have the whole tower set up for their use. Moody and Tonks will take turns guarding the entrance until we can come up with a safety entrance for the Champions."

"I think we will make it so that those that are trusted can house with them for added protection," said Minerva. "Fred, George, Neville, Daphne, Blaise, and Hannah, you will follow Lord Black to your new living accommodations. You have the rest of the afternoon to familiarize yourself with getting to and from your dorm to the places you need to be. The rest of the students are to report to their common rooms. You are not allowed to leave the dorms under any circumstances. Your Head of House will be with you until we declare that it is fit for you to leave. For now, all meals and such will be sent to your common rooms."

The students were a little shocked at the revelations. Ravenclaw house was slightly dispirited as none of their numbers were included in the entrance to the Champion's Tower. They knew they messed up when they treated Luna badly. Many of them were secretly watching out over the young girl to make sure that she didn't need anything or that anyone was still picking on her.

Back in the infirmary, Severus entered Harry's mind and was shocked at the carnage that was going on. He could see where the soul shard was still putting up a good fight to stay anchored to its host. He could also see Harry sending waves of magic at the Dark Lord every now and then. After studying the scene for a moment, he went into action.

"Harry," he called to the younger man. "I will handle the Horcrux. Salazar sent me to assist you. You need to concentrate on keeping the Dark Lord busy. The more you can keep him down, the better it will be for us. I will help you get this all sorted out. Before you ask, I'm using a special type of mind magic that not many know about. I can be in your thoughts and work with you without having to see your memories. Think of it as a specialized Legilimency."

"You hate me for what my dad did to you," said a weary Harry. "Why would you even bother helping? Wouldn't it be easy for you to just let me die here so that you don't have to put up with me anymore? Does it make you happy to know that the son of you enemy has been abused his whole life?"

"NO IT DOESN'T," interrupted Severus. "NO ONE and I mean NO ONE deserves to be abused. I was abused and I didn't like it. Therefore, I don't want to see anyone going through that even if that person was the son of my arch rival. I may not like what your father and godfather did to me, but I DID love and respect your mother. You will be watched out by me from here on out. I WILL help you. Just give me a little trust, and respect and I will do what I can to help you beat him."

Severus sent some magic at a tendril of the shard. The Horcrux screamed in fury and pain as the light got stronger and its hold weakened some more. Harry sighed with frustration. He didn't trust the man. There was too much animosity between them to just suddenly trust the man that made his life miserable all the time. Severus kept an eye on Harry while they worked. From time to time, one or the other would send a bit of magic at their opponent to stop it from getting a firmer hold.

"It's almost done," called Severus pointing. "Once the shard is gone, the Dark Lord can't hurt your mind anymore. I will teach you Occlumency and I will teach you what I know about this branch of mind magic. It will help you in the future. This way you can help others like I'm helping you right now. I know you don't trust me yet, but I SWEAR that I will work with you to make sure you know everything that you need to in order to defeat the Dark Lord."

"Let's just end what's going on here first," sighed Harry with a voice heavy with fatigue. "I'm so tired I can barely go anymore. Voldemort is now unconscious. That last wave I sent at him knocked him totally out. He won't be getting up any time soon. Now I can help you get the rest of the shard out of my head."

"No," said Severus adamantly. "You just rest and let me finish this. The goblins are still working on getting it out and they have healers on standby to assist you when it is all said and done. Let your mind rest now. Your magical core is very low on reserves and we don't want you to hurt yourself. Just let your mind rest and concentrate on Miss Lovegood. She will send you what you need through your bond."

Harry sighed and let his mind go. Severus worked for another ten minutes before the shard screamed in anger one last time and released the young mage. Severus exited Harry's mind and was tended to immediately by Poppy.

"I want to mentor the Champions," said Severus with a weary voice. "I have skills that they will need to stop the Dark Lord. I want to help. With time, Lord Potter and I can come to trust one another, but it will be a long fight. I want to do my part. No one should go through what he has in this life. I want to help in any capacity that I can."

"I will agree to this on one condition," said Godric pointing a finger at him. "You WILL be patient with them. They are young still and not at your skill level. To be an effective teacher, you have to be patient and guide them to where you want them to be. Going in with both barrels full will only make them resent you. A classroom has been set up in the new Champion's Tower. You will move there and take over as tutor and instructor. Does this work for you?"

"I accept," said Severus plainly before he was given a potion to make him sleep. "I will do my part for Lily's son."

With that he drifted off to sleep. Harry finally fell into a deep healing sleep with the aid of the goblins. Luna was placed into bed with him to make sure that he was alright. All four Champions were safe at this time.

Around the castle, things were being set up and people were being punished that needed it.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – This is a great spot to stop. I can pick up with the trials and such in the next chapter. Thanks for your support. I didn't want Severus out of the castle for a reason. Now I have created a great way to keep him there and make him a good guy again.


	5. Lessons and Seats

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 5 – Lessons and Seats**

Within days, all of the Champions were released from the infirmary. They sat down with the Founders and Severus and decided that now was a good a time as any to cover all bases when it came to their lessons, safety, and whatnot.

"First things first," said Salazar. "Severus has agreed to mentor all four Champions as well as the rest of you that are staying in the Champion's Tower. The password to your entryway is going to be something simple so that others can't get into the dorm due to trying to be funny. As there are so few of you, you each have your own room. It also has a classroom and such so that you all can have your lessons with the professors as well as us here in the safety of the tower. There will still be a guard at the entrance, but the password is in case the guard is changing or a break is needed."

"We have had enough of the attacks on the Champions," stated Godric plainly when everyone started to look concerned. "While we don't want you to be a prisoner in this Tower, we don't want any of you getting hurt either. So we have come up with the decision that you are all going to sit your classes together here in the tower. Though Luna, Fred, and George are in a different year from the rest of you, they will still sit with you and study at their level. Luna is border line between fourth and fifth year thanks to Harry."

"Make no mistake," said Rowena ominously. "Should you get attacked once more, we will take matters into our own hands. We will either shut this school down to all but those in this tower, or we will bring you to one of our secondary castles and have you all trained there. We will NOT have you harmed. The attacks are getting seriously out of hand with their pettiness and vindictiveness. There is no reason for any of you in this school to be attacked due to who you are, what you have, or who you are related to."

"When we built the school, we never envisioned that it would turn out the way that it has," said Helga sadly. "We always thought that at least ONE of our heirs would always be here in the school to keep things going in the fashion that we built it. We want this to be a better world for ALL witches and wizards. We aren't sure what went wrong and when."

"There are a few things that are happening soon," said Minerva coming in with Pomona, Filius, Remus, Septima, and Narcissa. "The trial for Dumbledore is on Thursday. From that point, every Thursday, there will be a trial. Molly will follow Dumbledore, then Dolores, Ronald, and finally Ginevra. Sirius arranged it that way so that you don't miss that much school. All four of you will attend so that you can get the training that you need. Harry will have to place a motion to claim his seats of Potter, Peverell, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. Luna and Susan will have to do the same for their seats of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. To make things easier for Harry, Draco can sit for one of his houses as proxy so that he can learn what he needs to in order to take the Malfoy seat when the time comes."

"You all have my word that I have no intention of being cruel to any of you," promised Severus with his hand over his heart bringing the conversation back to him and the classes. "My intentions are to teach you everything that I know. There will be some supplies that some of you will need to get from your vaults. This will be history books that we can use to help you understand about your status and so forth. Trust me when I say, that no one but you will look in those books, but we need you all to understand what it means to be WHO you are instead of WHAT you are. We can have Sirius act in your names if you like. In that capacity, he can get the goblins to send you the books of the Four Founders from their vaults."

"Each of us has volunteered to train you twice a week," assured Salazar. "Severus is skilled in DADA and Potions. He will work with you on both of those for one hour twice a week. The rest of the professors will give you two hours a week of their time as well. We don't want to overburden your learning capabilities, but the more you learn, the more you will get used to what we are doing for you."

"I will continue with your Transfiguration classes," promised Minerva. "We have someone from the Ministry that is skilled enough to work with Augusta to keep the other classes going so that I can actually run the school. They are going to split the classes so that they don't overload or overlap each other. This will make it easier for the students to learn in a less hostile environment. We are also going to have a secondary teacher for Potions, and DADA. Those classes are worse as they are more volatile when it comes to working with people you don't like. We are attempting to stamp out the rivalries here in the school, but it will take us some time to undo all of the damage that was caused by both Voldemort AND Dumbledore."

"Severus will be your Head of House," said Rowena after a moment of thought. "If you have ANY trouble what so ever, you are to find him and tell him immediately. He has some skill in healing as well, so he can help with minor things until Poppy gets to you. Make sure that when you leave this tower, you travel together in a group and not separate. Even if you are going to the loo, you are to go as a group and those that don't have to go can wait. Your safety is of the utmost importance to us. I know this may sound like a bit much, but your safety and the danger are not to be underestimated."

"Can you explain something to me?" asked Harry before seeing everyone nod. "It isn't a big deal, but it's something that I'm curious about. If Susan has Hufflepuff blood in her, doesn't Amelia Bones have it too? Also, aren't many of the pureblood families related distantly? I mean, some of them would have a trace of Founder blood in them as well wouldn't they?"

"That is an excellent question," said Severus before anyone else could speak. "While it is true that many of the pureblood families are related, it isn't true that the blood in many of them is strong enough to stake a claim. Many of the families are so inbred, that the blood is diluted to cross breed with their own relatives. It's one of the main reasons why so many pureblood families only have one child."

"Well said Severus," stated Rowena. "Also keep in mind that even if they are an old pureblood family doesn't mean that they family is from this area. Many of these old families have come from other places after the founding. The only person aside from Susan that would have Helga's blood would be Amelia, but she is no longer a student. Technically she would not have become Head of the Bones family, but thanks to Tom Riddle, she is. Therefore, she can't claim the title of Head of House for Hufflepuff. Susan, while she is the youngest and only Bones family member still alive, will get Helga's title. Amelia is still young enough to have a child. She can pass on the Bones line to her children."

"We know that Harry is the ONLY descendant alive of Godric and Salazar," continued Severus. "The lines die with Harry unless he and Luna have children. The same goes for Luna. The Ravenclaw lineage came from her mother and NOT her father. To be perfectly honest, we don't know what side of the family has the Hufflepuff blood. For all we know, the blood line came from Susan's mother. Therefore, it is possible that Amelia only has the blood due to being an old pureblood family that arrived in this area not long after the Potters and Blacks. We wouldn't really know unless Amelia does a heritage test."

"What about your family?" Harry curiously asked. "I don't want to upset or offend you, but I know your mother came from the Prince family. I read they are an old family. Are they not from this area? The information wasn't very forthcoming with an area."

"No they aren't," said Severus after a moment of thought. "My mother's family came from the Eurasian borderlands. Due to the fact that she married a muggle, she was disinherited. It is probable that I can inherit as I believe that I'm the only male Prince alive. I will have to look into it some more. I never gave it much thought as I was busy concentrating on my Mastery in potions. Add in that I wasn't happy with my family for what they did to my mother, and I never gave it much thought. Like you, I read a little, but I didn't dig into the heritage as it were due to mainly not being interested."

Harry nodded in understanding. He was still leery about Severus, but he knew that if the four Founders were alright with the way things were going, then he could relax and let things flow as they were supposed to.

"What do we call you?" asked Draco to Severus. "You are mainly a living sponsor and not technically a professor anymore. Do we still call you Professor Snape or do we just call you Mr. Snape?"

"Just call me Severus," answered the man. "If we work on calling each other by our first names, we can relax more around each other and have an easier time functioning as a cohesive group. So from here on out, I shall call you Draco, Harry, Susan, Luna, Neville, Fred, George Hannah, Daphne, and Blaise. We won't address each other by title as that would be redundant to what we are trying to accomplish. I will teach you how to work solo and as a group. This will teach you how to cover each other's backs should you be presented with the scenario."

The teens all nodded in agreement. Harry noticed that all four of the Founders were smiling brightly at the suggestion and agreed with it fully. Harry relaxed as he saw the Heads of Houses also smile and nod. He breathed a sigh of relief and noticed that Severus echoed it. Both looked at one another and grinned.

"Now before we forget, the password to your tower is Basilisk," said Minerva. "There is a special table in front of the staff table for you all to sit. This will help us keep a closer eye on you all and keep you safe from all forms of attack during meal times. While we don't want you to cower in fear, we don't want any of you under any more stress than necessary if we can help it. We also don't want any more sneak attacks happening. This will be explained to the students this evening at dinner."

"Just so you know, Miss Parkinson and her accomplices have been suspended for the rest of the year," said Filius. "They will repeat their fifth year with Miss Granger next year. We are still finding that certain students have charms or potions in their systems making them behave as hooligans rather than teens. As it is almost time for dinner, I suggest that the lot of you freshen up and head to the Great Hall. Dinner is now being set for everyone to arrive at seven sharp. Also don't forget that Harry, Susan, Draco, and Luna are all apprentice level students. You will still have the right to dock points and give detentions. If any student disagrees with you, just let Severus know and we will help him adjust the punishment. The rest of you with the exception of Fred and George are all prefects."

With that, the teens all headed to their rooms to check out their new accommodations and to shower and change. Each room was spacious. They had a magnificent view of the forest and could see Hagrid working with some of the animals on the edge of the forest. Harry smiled as he washed his hair, showered and got dressed in some clean clothes. Narcissa and Sirius made sure he had a full wardrobe of clothes that fit him. He had a wide variety of clothes to choose from. Being an apprentice status student, he didn't always have to wear robes. After selecting a soft sweater and a pair of black slacks, he put on his shoes and made his way to the common room. Severus nodded in approval at his attire as the two of them waited for the others to join them. He quickly waved his wand and placed Harry's House emblem and sponsor emblem on the right sleeve. He did the same for Luna, Susan, and Draco. When the group was all accounted for, they made their way to the Great Hall.

They entered the room and just as foretold, they noticed their new table. Harry sat in the very center of the table. Luna sat on his right, and Draco sat on his left. Susan sat on Draco's left. The others all made themselves comfortable around the four of them. They had a slight shock as Severus declined to sit at the Head table and joined his protégés at their table. Minerva and Filius both smirked at the man and waited for the rest of the student body to join them. Once there, she gave the explanation as to what was going on. She passed a few threats to the student body. Once she was done, she lifted her hands and the food appeared on the tables. Harry and his group were getting odd looks, but no one was looking angry or threatening. They ate their meal in good graces and then retired to their common room to work on their homework before their evening lesson with the founders. That evening, Salazar called them all down.

"It's time for your first history lesson," he explained as everyone got comfortable at their desks. "I'm going to tell you about the Chamber of Secrets and why I built it. Godric, Rowena, and Helga will also tell you about their hidden spots in the castle. Lastly, we will share with you a secret. However, it is to go no further than those of you sitting here. Most of the teachers don't know what we are going to tell you and we want to keep it that way."

"Minerva and Filius know about what we are going to tell you, as does Severus, but no one else," said Godric appearing and standing next to where Severus was sitting to listen. "When we are done with you tonight, you will have a better understanding of what happened all those years ago and where the rumors started. This will give you an edge over most people when you take your spots in the world once you graduate."

"Now as you all know, Salazar built his Chamber of Secrets," began Rowena. "He has two entrances to his Chamber. One is more intriguing than the other. We as Founders all know where the entrances to each of our Chambers are. It was never a secret to any of us. One entrance is in the girl's loo. The other is behind the portrait of Barnabus the Barmy and his dancing trolls."

"Despite what was said, none of us ever fought battles with one another," said Salazar. "We were best of friends and works as closely as Fred and George do. That is not to say we didn't have disagreements, but we never went to war and divided the castle as the rumor tells. I built my Chamber under the school due to the type of Guardian that I chose to help defend the castle. As you all know, a basilisk like places that are dark and cool. Unlike most serpents, they much rather the cold as opposed to heat signatures like your normal serpent does. I also built my Chamber there due to the nature of ingredients for potions. As you all know, the dungeons are the best place to store harvested ingredients as many of them react badly to heat until you are actually using them to brew the potion. Therefore, what better a place to store larger amounts of ingredients than the Chamber that never sees daylight and is always cool to cold?"

"The rumor that he and I got into a fight is just that," stated Godric. "We started that rumor so that people would think that things were falling apart between the four of us. We didn't want people to fear we were trying to take over the world, so we made it look like we were normal people to the magical world. However, it has gotten completely out of control now. Rowena was already dying and Helena was already dead. Her youngest daughter had left and was presumed dead. We know now, thanks to Luna, that she didn't die. Rosemary Ravenclaw did indeed survive and have children."

"The castle was targeted on more than one occasion by witch hunters back in those days," explained Helga. "When the fact got out that Salazar had such a dangerous animal in the castle, the darker families started to get upset and the lighter families didn't want their children in the castle. We didn't want things to get out of hand, so we staged the rumor that Godric and Salazar got into a fight about something. We decided to use a falsehood about him not liking muggleborn children and a desire to have better bred children coming to the school. This rumor is false. Salazar treated all children the same. It didn't matter who their parents were. He went out on more than one occasion to rescue a muggle born child from death and such from parents that were frightened of the child."

"We made it look like I left due to not agreeing with the other three founders," said Salazar simply. "When I left the school, I simply went to live in the Chamber with my protector. I never actually left the castle. It was my home until the day I died. All four of us died right here in the castle. My remains are in a special room in the Chamber. Rowena is actually buried near the lake. Helga is in her chamber as is Godric. This way, we could stay with the castle. We did more than just build it. We actually used ample amounts of magic to embed her walls. If you seek in special areas, you will notice that there are runes in certain places."

"When the Head of the school gives energy to the ward stones, it passes through the entire building powering up the runes as well," said Rowena pleased to see the teens using the quick quote quills they were provided with and showing rapt attention. "What many of the Heads before now didn't know was that each time a student casts magic in the halls of Hogwarts, the castle will absorb the remains of the cast spell or the miscast spells empowering the school even more. Many of the wards on this school are powered by the students every single day. Dumbledore figured it out and tried to use that power for himself. In spite of everything, he is a highly intelligent man."

"People such as Harry, Luna, or Susan could probably go once a month and give a bit of their energy to make the wards and such even more powerful," said Godric after pondering for a moment. "While the Heads always give it a huge boost, you three could give it just a small kick and do just as much for the wards as the full power of the Headmaster or mistress. It isn't that hard to do and you will hardly feel anything. We will take the three of you to the ward chamber this evening and show you."

"When the wards are fully charged, there is no chance of anyone breaching the grounds that doesn't belong here," assured Helga. "It takes someone of the blood to actually state who they don't want on the grounds and make it so that person is never able to step one toe in the area without suffering some sort of damage to themselves. Now my Chamber is located near the Hufflepuff dorms. I didn't hide it. Pomona is actually using my Chambers as her quarters as they are called now. The only thing she doesn't have access to is my final resting place."

"The office that Minerva uses is more than it seems," said Godric. "If you look outside of the castle at that office, you will see that there is more space outside than there is inside. Many people won't think much about it as they will just think it is a quirk or structural support. My Chamber is there as the four of us felt that I was the best candidate for the first Headmaster here in the castle. Magic hides what we don't want people to see. You have to be OF our blood to access our special rooms in the case of Helga, or the actual Chambers in relation to the rest of us. Riddle got lucky as he was able to fool the entrance by knowing the language to access the room."

"Not even Dumbledore had access to any of our chambers, and you all know how powerful he is," said Rowena. "My Chamber is hidden within the Astronomy Tower. As Godric says, unless you are of our blood, you will not be able to gain entrance. Therefore, I suggest that those of you that are not of our blood to not even bother trying. You could be staring right at it and not know that you found what you were looking for."

"Now," said Godric. "We have been at this for a while now and we don't want to take away your study time or relaxation time. Therefore, Thursday evening, we will pick up this lesson again. If you like, we can show you all how to access the tunnels. The only thing that we ask is that you don't tell anyone about them, and you don't do anything foolish when you are using them. They were created as an escape route should they ever be needed for attacks and such."

Harry and his group all showed interest in the tunnels. They stood together and waited while Godric showed them where the tunnel was in their tower. He showed them how to open it and waited patiently while they and Severus entered.

"You will notice that each entrance to the tunnels in behind a mirror," said Rowena. "Each mirror is unbreakable. We designed them to withstand even the most lethal of spells. If you look to the entrance, you will see that you can see clean as day into the common room you just left. We designed them this way so that you can make sure no one is standing there or in the general vicinity when you wish to either use or exit the tunnels. This keeps them secret and accessible to those they are meant to be used by."

"We have each of you keyed into the entrances to the tunnels," said Minerva coming up to them from the tunnel. "I must warn you that any misuse of them will cause you to lose the privilege. Fred and George, while your pranks are not harmful I don't want you to think you can use the tunnels to prank students. As of yet, you have not done anything to anyone but make them laugh. Stick with that, and you will be fine. Do NOT use the tunnels to help you prank the students."

"Also stop using the tunnels to get out of the school," said Godric sternly. "So far, three of you have used the escape tunnels to go to Hogsmeade. Your safety is tantamount now and it would be foolish of you to leave the castle knowing there are people on the outside of the wards that want to harm you. Voldemort is not the only enemy some of you have. Now that some of the Weasleys, Dumbledore, and a few other students have been suspended or expelled from the castle, others will want to get revenge."

"We are still going to allow visits to the village," assured Minerva. "We want you to have fun and enjoy your youth while you have it. Add in the fact that there are always teachers around, and we can keep an eye out on you all while you enjoy yourselves. Lord Black will also be stationing Aurors and Hit Wizards in the village to assist on those days to keep the students safe."

"You might want to have the Aurors stationed in the castle to keep an eye on the Humped Back Witch," suggested Harry. "That tunnel leads to Honeydukes. We all know that the tunnel under the Whomping Willow is somewhat safe, but you might want to close that tunnel due to the enemy being able to get onto the castle grounds if they find it. The need for that tunnel is no longer there as Remus is able to safely stay in his room during the full moon."

"Good thinking," said Minerva. "Ten points for that suggestion. We will get right on that. Now, I'm going to let you continue with your tour. I will see you all at eight sharp for breakfast. I wish you all a pleasant evening."

With that, she left and headed down the tunnel and disappeared from sight. Godric led the group through the tunnels showing them how to navigate them with ease.

"We placed colored arrows on the walls with a chart telling you where each arrow is leading you to," said Godric pointing. "For instance, the white arrows lead you to the infirmary. The green and silver ones lead you to the Slytherin Common Room. Each color or combinations will have small writing on them telling you where they lead in case you forget. Just place your wand to an arrow and tell it your destination, and it will light up the arrows with their correct color and point you in that direction."

"Oh," said Severus suddenly startling everyone. "I almost forgot due to the fascinating history lesson. In each of your rooms, there will be a special badge that you are to wear on your clothing. While you don't have to wear robes per say, we still need you to show what house you belong to. In the case of Draco, Harry, Luna, and Susan, you will wear one over your heart and one on your right sleeve to represent your house and your sponsor. In the instances where you DO have to wear robes, your Family Crests will be on them with your Hogwarts Houses on the sleeve. Harry will have quite a few as he is related to Gryffindor, Slytherin, Peverell, Black, and Potter. The Potter and Black Crests will be over his heart and the rest will be on his left sleeve while his Hogwarts house emblem and sponsor emblem will be on the lower right. In his case, Gryffindor will be over Slytherin."

"You do realize that you almost scared the daylights out of the group don't you?" asked Helga with a laugh. "I have never seen so many people in one group jump so high in all my living and dying days. I do have to say that was a sight for me to always remember."

"I'm so glad that you were amused," said Harry trying to catch his breath. "I thought for a minute we were being attacked. Severus, if you are trying to kill us that is a good way to do it. My heart is still beating too fast."

"You and me both Harry," said Draco trying to calm down. "I was so focused on the explanation that I forgot that he was even here. He scared me half to death."

"I do apologize," said Severus trying not to laugh. "It wasn't my intention to scare you. I just wanted to let you all know what I forgot. I do have to agree with Helga that it is slightly funny."

"Revenge is best served cold," promised Fred, while George nodded. Both were pale from the fright. "We will get you when you least expect it. We aren't pranksters for nothing."

"Are you kidding me?" asked Severus with mild amusement. "I survived Harry's father, godfather, and his Uncles Remus. You guys are good, but if I can survive the marauders, then I can get by you."

"My father was a bully," said Harry quietly while they walked back to their tower. "Sirius wasn't much better. At least Remus had some sense of decency. We won't even remotely mention the abomination that hung out with them. At least Sirius grew up and is taking life with his head in the game instead of on who he is going to target with a prank or worse. One of these days, someone will have to sit with me for the day and tell me about my mother. I hear things about my dad all the time, but no one really has said much about mum other than she was a gifted student and was Head Girl."

"I'll sit and tell you all about her," promised Severus. "She was my best friend even before we came to Hogwarts. We were as close as two people could get before my mouth ruined it. Had things worked out just a little different, I would have been your father instead of James. However, everything works out as it's supposed to in the end."

"Hold on," interrupted George. "Are you telling me that Harry is the son of a marauder? Why didn't anyone tell us this? We have been in the presence of royalty this whole time and didn't even know it."

"My dad was Prongs," admitted Harry with a sigh and rolling his eyes with Draco and Severus. "Sirius was Padfoot and Remus is Moony. Don't ask about Wormtail because I refuse to talk about that slime ball. As for my fame and fortune, I hate it. I don't want you guys to add another title to my already long list. All I want is to be normal. I want to excel in my studies, graduate school, and get a good job based on what I can do and NOT who I am. The one thing I want more than anything in this world is the one thing that you and your jealous nitwit of a brother have. I want a loving mother and father that can be proud of my accomplishments. I want siblings that I can talk with and learn from. I would rather have that than all the money in my vaults."

"You have a family even if it isn't blood related Harry," said Susan softly as Luna put an arm around his waist. "We are your family now. We will love you and help you just like you do for us. That's what being in a family is all about. It's how we love just as much as whom we love. You may not be blood related to any of us except Draco, but we DO love you and we will always love you for you and not what you have."

"I always wanted a sibling," admitted Draco with his arm wrapped around Susan. "Now I have some. I will be your brother until the end Harry. We may not have always gotten along, but we have something we can share with our children. We will work to bring about the downfall of all beings that desired to rule through cruelty and murder. We will work as a family to show those that hide in the light and stand in the dark that they can't get away with hurting others just because they can."

"Face it Harry," said Luna. "You are stuck with us now. We want you in our lives and you aren't getting rid of us that easy. We are here to stay and nothing will change that. I think we have many honorary Aunts and Uncles that care about us as much as we care about them."

"Twenty points to each of the four houses," said Severus. "Yes we may be slightly dysfunctional, but we are a family. It will take us some time to get used to one another, but if we work at it, we will succeed. That is one of the key things needed if we are to defeat the dark. Now, why don't you lot head up to bed and get some rest. You have classes tomorrow and the day after is Dumbledore's trial. I'll talk with Minerva and see if we can get the whole lot of you to the trial so that you can use it as a learning experience. If you need me, my room is off to the left side of the common room. Don't hesitate to come to me if you need something."

Each of the students bid each other goodnight and went to their rooms to sleep. Harry sat up late into the evening contemplating the changes that a few days made in Severus. It was like there was a light that went off in the former Potions Professor's head and made him realize that people are people instead of targets for his snarky comments and rude insinuations. Harry wondered if it was possible that the man had been under some kind of spell that was cleansed away when he went to the Chamber. He was not used to the new and improved Severus, but for the moment, he would just go with the flow and see where it led. He had to admit that he liked the helpful Severus Snape. With a small sigh, Harry scratched both Hedwig and Fawkes under their chins and climbed into his bed. When he was comfortable, he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

The next day, the group went to the classroom after breakfast to continue their studies. With the change in classes, Harry was able to drop Divination and pick up Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Wizarding Etiquette. He found that he enjoyed Arithmancy as he was always good in math, and this was just a magical form of math. With the help of Severus, he was sure he could catch up to his year mates in no time. The others were also getting adjusted to their new schedule. Herbology, Astrology, and COMC were still taught in their normal spots. Just who was in the class was all that changed. Each person no matter their year was in the same class. They were just being taught at the different levels. None of the professors complained about the change and each worked with the group as they would with any other group. Those that were free during a certain hour would come in and work with the students in that particular subject. Classes started at nine sharp. They stopped at noon for lunch and picked up again at one. They ended in the evenings at six for dinner. At seven, one of the founders would come in for their lessons that they wanted to teach the group if the students didn't have that much homework they were catching up on.

The day of Dumbledore's trial arrived. Severus went to the dorms and made sure that each student dressed in their dress robes. He wanted each student to be sharply presentable to the Ministry workers. He entered Harry's room though the open door and saw him fighting with is hair at his mirror.

"Here, let me help you," he said tapping his wand lightly on Harry's head and got the satisfaction of seeing it a bit more manageable. "Your mother used to complain about James' hair all the time. It is a Potter curse. Talk with Draco and he can tell you what products you can use to help manage it better. If anyone is skilled with getting their hair to look perfect it's him. I like the color of your robes by the way. It's a nice touch combining the Slytherin green with the Gryffindor gold trimming. Having your House Crests in scarlet and silver is very fitting. You better hurry or you'll be late for breakfast. Your group will be leaving right after for the trial. I will be with you so you can breathe a little easier. Also don't forget that Sirius and Amelia will be there with Augusta Longbottom. She is the new Chief Witch and she is one of the good guys."

"Thanks Severus," said Harry with a smile. "I feel better knowing that you all are going to be there. I've been studying in my spare time as to what is going to happen at the trial, but my nerves are getting the better of me. I'm rather scared that I will do or say something that will make me look like a fool in front of the Wizengamot."

"You have little to fear," assured Severus as the two made it to the common room. "Sirius will handle most of it and you will have very little to say or do. You just have to vote using your four houses. Draco can sit in one of your spots and if you want, I can sit in another for you. That way, we can all be seated together and we can be there for each other. Sirius has Moody and Tonks sitting with the others, so they will be safe enough without us there. Don't forget to bring the parchments from Gringotts that tells your heritages. It will help you prove your case for each seat you are trying to claim. I have no doubt that Sirius will ensure your success in claiming your seats. You ARE the last of four of the houses and the heir of the fifth one."

"All this power and prestige and I don't want it," said Harry walking with him down the stairs to meet up with everyone. "I'm grateful, but this is WAY too much for one person to have to deal with. I guess that I should stop complaining. If I didn't do it, someone else would have to and it would make them have that much more work to deal with."

"Very wise," said Minerva overhearing his comment. "I must say that all of you look splendid. You will definitely make an impression on the members of the Wizengamot. I have Tonks picking you up some extra Quick Quote Quills and some muggle notebooks to take notes during the trial. Having sat in a few, my suggestion is that if you have a question ask it with intelligence and reason. No one will fault you for wanting an explanation if you don't understand something. Sirius would have told them that this is a learning experience for many of you."

The teens took their supplies from Tonks. Each set was in a small leather satchel that resembled a small briefcase. It looked smart and Harry appreciated the sentiment of it. Together the group entered the Great Hall for Breakfast. Many people were outright staring at the group as they made their way to their table. Severus and Tonks walked on each side of the procession as they headed for their table. Luna dressed in blue with bronze trimming. Over her breast, she had the Crests for House Lovegood and House Ravenclaw. On one sleeve she hasd her Hogwarts affiliations. On her other sleeve, she had Harry's Houses presented showing her betrothal status. Susan was dressed in black robes with yellow trim. She had the crests for House Bones and Hufflepuff on her breast. Like the others, she had her Hogwarts affiliations on her right sleeve. Draco was also dressed in black with silver trimmings. The twins were dressed in green. Neville was dressed in black. Daphne was dressed in mauve and Blaise was dressed in green.

"We'll leave using Minerva's floo when we are done eating," explained Severus. "I suggest that you each eat something substantial as we don't know when or if there will be a break for lunch. Normally they will, but just to be safe, eat a full meal. I will bring a few snacks just in case."

With that, the group sat and ate. When they were done with their meal, Minerva led them to her office. Tonks went first so that she could meet them on the other side. From there, each teen took their turn and headed to the Ministry. Severus arrived last, and quickly took stock of the situation. Sirius and Tonks were amongst a few people that surrounded the teens to get them to the courtroom. The press was attempting to get them to give a few words and thoughts, but Sirius managed to keep them back. Harry saw Rita Skeeter in the crowd and stopped suddenly causing Severus to bump into him.

"Rita Skeeter," he called to the astonishment of their guards. "You had better remember your promise to me. If I see one word about me or my companions in your story that is nothing but the absolute truth, the next time we meet is when I will be sitting at YOUR trial. We have kept our end of the bargain and you had better keep yours. Consider this your ONLY warning."

With that, Harry turned to his astonished guards and beckoned them to lead on. Severus looked oddly at him for a moment, but Harry quickly told him that he would explain later when they returned home. Nodding in agreement, Severus let the matter drop.

"Question," stated Harry looking to Sirius and Severus. "Is it possible to stop by Gringotts when we are done? There is something that I would like to get from my vault if possible. I would also like to know where my Head of House rings are. I haven't received any of them yet. Griphook was supposed to look into it, but I never heard back."

"I'm sure we can arrange that," said Sirius looking at Severus who nodded. "We will have to limit how many of you are going to go however. I think that we should just take Harry as we will have an easier time protecting one than the whole group. We can look into the rings for Susan and Luna while we are there. It wouldn't be that difficult to do."

The group made it to the courtroom and Sirius had Luna, Susan, Harry, and Draco sit in one section while the others were taken to the viewing area under guard by Tonks and Kingsley. Severus didn't stray far from the Champions. As the courtroom filed in, many witches and wizards glanced at them and smiled or nodded. Harry and Draco would nod and smile back while the girls would give a small wave. Sirius, Amelia, and Augusta took their normal seats while everyone else got situated.

"We are here today to witness and bare evidence to the trial of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," began Sirius. "Before we begin with his trial, is there any business that needs to be attended first?"

"I have business to attend," called Harry quickly at a prod from Severus. "If it pleases the court, I would like to claim my seats upon the Wizengamot."

"Which Houses are you wanting to claim and do you have proof that you are eligible to claim said seats?" asked Sirius with pride. "If so, please step forward and present your case. We will judge you fairly and accordingly. Just know that our decision is being based on your evidence. If you present it to us and the seat is there, you will be allowed to stake your claim. If your evidence isn't strong enough, then we will deny your request."

"Yes Sir," said Harry cordially presenting his first document. "In accordance to the laws that were written when this panel was first built, the last heir to a house can claim their seats if there is no other living relative to do so. The heir can give the seat to someone who can act as proxy if they wish to do so, but once they reach their fifteenth year, they may sit their seats themselves. In the case that the heir has more than one, he may sit them as a cluster, or may appoint voices to act in accordance with him or her."

"Very well," said Amelia impressed. "You have presented your argument. That law is definitely in effect for what you are aiming for. I can see your Family Crests upon your robe. Should we find that you are not the legal heir, we will ask that you remove them from your person or be fined for false advertisement or attempted theft."

"Yes Madam," said Harry politely gathering a few more documents. "As you all are aware, I'm the last Potter. It is a proven fact that is written in the books that my father was the last and I'm all that's left. Therefore, at the very least, I'm eligible to claim the seat for House Potter."

"That is granted," said Augusta. "You are quite correct in your evaluation of the scenario. You are in fact the last of the Potters and you are eligible to claim that seat. Please state your case for your next claim."

"It is also written in the archives that the Potter family is direct descendants of Godric Gryffindor," said Harry passing up the next set of documents. "As the last of that line, I can claim that seat as well. Should I need a proxy, I'm sure that we can come to an agreement as to who would hold that seat for me. However, once again, I'm within my rights to claim the seat."

"You can claim that seat," said Sirius looking at the documents and passing them around. "We know that the Potters are direct descendants of Gryffindor. Therefore, the seat is yours by birthright as the last heir alive."

"Thanks to the goblins of Gringotts, we discovered that I'm related to Salazar Slytherin on my mother's side," explained Harry passing up the next document to the astonishment of the group. "While my cousin is older than I am, he doesn't have the magic and therefore isn't eligible to take his place as Head of House. Therefore, he and his non magical offspring will not be able to claim the title. His magical heirs can't either unless I don't have children myself."

"The Dursleys are going to be in jail for a long time," explained Amelia. "They would have lost their right anyway due to being a known felon. From what I can see of this report, the goblins have proved that you are an heir of Slytherin. You also can speak the language of snakes which further backs your claim. Our own workers here in the Ministry have learned that the ability can only be passed through blood and NOT through magic."

"Finally, I would like to claim the seat for House Peverell as both the Potter line and the Slytherin line are descendants from all three of the brothers," said Harry passing up the final document that he wished to present. "There is one more house that I could claim, but I think I have more than enough with the four that I have. Add in that I'm the heir to the House of Black and I have MORE than enough to deal with."

"Give us a few moments to deliberate and we will give you our ruling," said Sirius winking at him. "It shouldn't take but a couple of minutes as you have presented telling evidence of your claims."

Harry nodded and watched as Sirius waved his wand to enclose the panel behind a Silencing Spell. Everyone could see them talking with one another. The documents were passed around and they talked some more. Finally, Sirius nodded and waved his wand to bring down his spell.

"The panel has decided that your documents are more than proof of your claims," he stated giving Harry back his documents. "We also know that Susan Bones and Luna Lovegood are going to request their seats as well. Therefore, we have decided on the following. Lord Potter may claim all of his seats. This will be for House Potter, Peverell, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. In future if he wants to present evidence on the last house, he may do so. In the event of Madam Susan Bones, we have decided that as she is of age in accordance to the laws found by Lord Potter, that she may take the seat of House Hufflepuff."

"On a sad note, we must decline Lady Lovegood her seat until next year," said Amelia. "We would like to ask her to appoint a proxy to sit in her spot until she is of age to claim her seat. This way, her seat can vote and so forth."

"Thank you," said Luna standing. "Due to Lord Potter already having so many seats, I was wondering if it was possible for Madam Longbottom to represent House Ravenclaw until I come of age and am able to fulfill my duties as Head of House. During all of this, I will ask that I be allowed to at least sit in my spot even if I don't have a voice yet so that I may observe and learn what I need to before the position comes into effect for me."

"Your request for me to act as proxy is an honor," said Augusta. "I accept gracefully. As for you sitting in the seat to observe and learn, I grant your request. As Head Witch of the Wizengamot, there is no reason why you shouldn't or can't that I know of. Therefore, the three of you along with Scion Malfoy may sit in the block set up for your seats. Severus Snape, we ask that you join them to aid in explanation and defense."

Nodding, the five made their way to where Augusta indicated and took their seats. As they were sitting in the seats of the Four Founders, they were a little away from the rest, but near enough to receive assistance should they require it. When they were comfortably seated, Sirius, Augusta, and Amelia moved on to the trial.

"We are gathered here today to pass judgment on Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," said Sirius. "Bring in the prisoner."

AUTHOR'S NOTE – I will stop here. This chapter got away from me. I hope that some of my descriptions and explanation help you understand what I'm doing. Thanks for the support. I will begin with Dumbledore's trial in the next chapter.


	6. Trial of the Goat

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 6 – Trials of the Goat **

"_We are gathered here today to pass judgment on Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," said Sirius. "Bring in the prisoner."_

Sirius waited as the Aurors brought in Albus and chained him to the chair. The old wizard had tried to struggle and complain, but he was silenced before he could even get started. No one wanted to hear what he had to say until it was time for him to give his reasoning and testimony. It was a few moments before anyone spoke after the struggle. Sirius, Augusta, and Amelia were busy staring at the man before them with open disgust. Finally Sirius broke out of his thoughts and began the trial. He would be part of the triad stating the case against Dumbledore. Augusta as Chief Witch and Amelia as Senior Undersecretary would be presiding with him.

"Now that we have finished with all the other business, we can get to the trial of the man sitting before us," he told the panel of witches and wizards. "There are multiple crimes against the man so therefore, we will break them down one at a time. The first being that he willfully abused his position as Chief Warlock to send a man to prison for twelve years for a crime he knew he didn't commit. As I am the one that is being referred to, I can't cast a vote on his innocence or guilt. Therefore, after we discuss this, I have to abstain from the voting process of innocence or guilt. Also, this particular part of the trial is not one that I can preside over. Lady Bones and Lady Longbottom will do that."

"The situation is as follows," said Amelia picking up where Sirius left off. "Dumbledore is the one that cast the Fidelius Charm to hide the Potter Family from Voldemort and his minions. Spells such as that are easy to trace to the caster due to the power needed to fuel them. It is within our records that Dumbledore was in fact the one to cast the Fidelius Charm for the Potters. Therefore, he knew that Sirius Black wasn't the Secret Keeper. When the Potters were betrayed, he let Sirius be arrested for something that he didn't do. We are currently on the lookout for Pettigrew as we know for a fact that he is still alive and has been hiding with the Weasley family since that fateful night."

"How can you be so sure?" asked a member of the panel. "We just have Lord Black's testimony that he is alive. Is there some sort of paper trail that will tell us who did what? Also where is he now? Do we have any proof that he is alive at all? I know that Lord Black was found innocent, but the evidence to prove his innocence is not common knowledge. We would like some sort of proof before we can decide if Dumbledore is actually guilty or not."

"As a matter of fact there is," said Augusta. "There is a book in the Department of Mysteries as well as Gringotts that tells when a witch or wizard is born. Once that person dies, the date of their death is added to their information. According to the book here in the Ministry, there is NO death date for Peter Pettigrew. The people in charge of that section have written and signed a document that states that the information we are presenting is nothing but the truth. Further testimony can be given if we give the accused Veritaserum. That will ensure that we get the answers we want. He has been in a holding cell for close to two weeks now. There is no way that he has potions or anything in his system to annul the Truth Serum. We will ask the pertinent questions regarding his involvement in the Fidelius Charm cast for the Potters."

Harry raised his hand and waited for the panel to recognize that he wished to speak. Augusta saw this and nudged both Amelia and Sirius who looked at the young Lord with interest. When Harry decided he had something to say, there was normally a reason for it. It also didn't get missed by anyone that he had a smug look on his face at this time. The three heads decided to let the teen have a little fun.

"The panel recognizes Lord Harry James Potter," said Augusta. "Is there something that you would like to ask or add? If so, please speak now as you have the floor. We would be interested in hearing what you have to say as this DOES pertain partially to you."

"If someone were to be kind enough to conjure me a bottle, I would gladly give in front of this esteemed panel, the memory of the night that I saw Peter Pettigrew in the flesh," stated Harry with conviction. "While I don't like talking about them due to what they have done to me, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger were with me the night that Lord Black and Remus Lupin corned Pettigrew and forced him to reveal himself. The reason I state I will pull it out of my head before you is so that no one can claim that the memory is tampered with. It wouldn't do for Albus Dumbledore to get off with a not guilty plea due to negligence."

Amelia was practically giddy with glee and fighting hard not to laugh at his choice of words. Harry was playing right along with their plans to hamstring the old goat. She waved her wand and conjured a glass vial and presented it to Harry. Lifting the Elder wand to his head, he pushed the memory to the forefront of his mind and pulled it out and placed it inside of the bottle. Amelia took the bottle and sealed it. He ignored the looks of shock from the members when they saw him use the wand successfully. Many were here for many years and knew that the Elder wand had been Dumbledore's for decades.

"This memory will be played before you soon," she promised. "It will stay right here in plain sight so that no one can tamper with it. All we need is a pensieve so that we can display it for all to see. This will give verification to the panel of judges that the memory is accurate and that no one has harmed it in any way. I agree with Lord Potter that we don't want a technicality to give a criminal a chance to go free."

With that, she sent someone to fetch a pensieve. When they returned, she had a court appointed tester to come out and test both the device, and the bottle holding the memory. When he was done, Amelia poured in the memory, tapped her wand to the pensieve, and allowed the memory to play. The panel, judges, and guests all watched with interest the night that Pettigrew was uncovered. There were no further objections to the life of Peter Pettigrew.

In the memory, Harry watched as he, Hermione, and Ron hit Severus with a stunner. Harry quietly whispered an apology to the man. Severus quickly waved it away knowing that he was just as much at fault as they were. They watched as Remus and Sirius cast the Animagus Revealing Spell and saw Peter Pettigrew plead with them to not kill him. They also saw Harry tell both men to leave the Aurors have the rat, explaining that his father wouldn't want them to become murderers for someone as worthless as Pettigrew. Finally the memory ended when Peter escaped during Remus' transformation and Severus' quick save of the teens. What angered many of the panel was that Dumbledore had aided the teens in rescuing Sirius. Even though he was innocent, at the time he was a wanted murderer and the old fool had aided and abetted his escape from justice.

"If you believe that this memory is proof that Albus Dumbledore locked up Lord Black for no reason, please light your wands in white," said Augusta. "Lord Black has already been cleared of all charges, but we want no one to further doubt the sincerity of the situation. We want to get on to Dumbledore's other crimes."

They all had the satisfaction of seeing every wand tip light up with a brilliant shade of white. Now that Harry had pulled the memory straight from his head and presented it to show what happened, it erased any lingering doubts. That Sirius was a really great Minister helped as well. They watched as the three heads turned back towards the prisoner.

"The next part of our case against Dumbledore is the following," said Amelia pulling up a new document. "Almost immediately following the deaths of the Potters, he proclaimed himself as Harry's magical guardian and sealed the wills of Lily and James. This was done BEFORE Sirius went to jail. Even had Sirius NOT gone to prison, Dumbledore had NO right to seal the wills. We have proof of that here in the Ministry. All of the paperwork was signed by Dumbledore using his position as Chief Warlock to get it quietly done with no opposition. Apparently he was so confident that he wouldn't be challenged on this decision that he actually signed all of the documents and so forth to have it done."

"How is it that Lord Potter knows of his rightful place if the wills were locked?" asked a member of the panel. "While we agree that it is against the law to go against the wills of a family, how did Lord Potter know what to do? It would help us understand why we are here a bit more if we knew more about the situation."

"I went back after my second year and looked into things with the leader of the goblin nation," answered Harry. "After learning about my trust vault, I still wasn't receiving my monthly statements. So one afternoon during the summer, I went out of the house and hailed the Knight Bus and had them bring me to Diagon Alley. I talked with the goblins, and they helped me get everything sorted out. Even the Chief Warlock can't stop the heir of a house from making inquiries about their status and vaults. It was then that I learned what I could do and when. Therefore I waited until I was thirteen to stake claims on my inheritances. Once that was done, I was able to make sure that Dumbledore didn't receive any more of my mail. Apparently all of the gifts that I was to receive from the Wizarding World upon my defeat of Voldemort the first time were appropriated by Dumbledore. Suffice to say that we have had that situation rectified for the most part. He actually let the letters stay locked up in my family vault. Apparently he didn't think I would ever learn of the vaults."

No one knew what to say to that. Many of the panel had sent tokens of esteem to the young wizard for his victory in stopping the dark lord in the war that was going on even if it was only temporary. Now that they knew that the old fool had taken those gifts, many of them were angry. The only consolation was that Harry and the goblins had managed to get back every single gift sent. They didn't know what to do about the money at this time.

"Theft from a child," hissed Tiberius. "How low can one person sink to steal from a child that didn't even know what was going on? This is an absurd misuse of justice and power. No one should steal from a child. It isn't right. Those gifts and such were for Lord Potter."

"Patience Sir," proclaimed Sirius. "We have other issued we must address. We know that Lord Potter isn't the only child that was in danger. However, we are starting with him as he was the one that was hurt the most. The next item on the agenda is his placement of Lord Potter with muggles."

"While there is no law that states a wizarding child can't reside with muggle relatives, we know that Dumbledore placed Harry there without their consent," explained Amelia. "The Dursleys have been tried and convicted by the laws of both muggle and wizarding justifications for their actions against Lord Potter. Her Royal Majesty, the Queen of England, has taken an interest in this case as well. She wants to hear the outcome of this trial."

"Dumbledore placed Harry on the doorstep of the Dursley residence and left him there," hissed Sirius angrily causing a small outcry of rage from the females of the panel. "Headmistress McGonagall was with him as was Hagrid that night. Dumbledore didn't even knock. He just left him there with a note and sent both Minerva and Hagrid away."

"We know that there was a mail ward surrounding the residence," said Augusta pulling out a sheet of parchment. "We sent a team of goblins, Unspeakables, and Curse Breakers to the residence to look around. Among the wards found, there was Blood Magic used. That by itself is a serious offense in the United Kingdom. There were Compulsion Charms present there as well. Other minor wards and charms were present, but the one that worries us the most was the one that was causing Lord Potter to have his magic blocked and siphoned off."

"What do you mean?" asked Randy Lewis. "That spell can kill someone. If it stays on for too long, the person's core will eventually collapse. It is a great feat that Lord Potter has any magic in his body left at all much less his life. Our studies show that most people will lose their magic at best and their lives at worst. This is an outrageous action and must be dealt with."

"I don't think the charm was cast correctly," said Harry speaking up and halting the man's rant. "I knew that my magic wasn't as strong as it should be, as I knew there was a block. However, I think that the magic reducing portion of it may have affected Dudley and Aunt Petunia more than me. Let's not forget that there was a Horcrux in my scar and it helped me even if it belonged to the Dark Lord. My magic, while weaker, was still strong enough for me to function as a wizard. Now that the blocks and Horcrux are gone, my magic has stabilized and is my own powerful magic as it should be."

"Can you elaborate more on those statements?" asked Sirius with concern and curiosity. "I know you are intelligent and so forth, but I think we are missing something somewhere. Can you please explain to us what you mean when you say that?"

"Aunt Petunia and Dudley don't have any magic," said Harry calmly. "We know that there is Founder's Blood in my mother's line. We proved that earlier with the tests from the goblins and such regarding me. This would mean that even though Dudley and Aunt Petunia didn't show magic themselves, that there was a trace in their systems as they are related to my mother. My theory is that the spell was cast wrong and the little bit of magic that even squibs have was what fed the curse. Even men like the Dark Lord and Dumbledore can make mistakes. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. Also I don't think that Dudley would be able to produce a magical child even if he wasn't in prison for many years due to fourteen years of interaction with that particular curse."

"You may be very accurate in your theory," said Amelia with a thoughtful look on her face. "We can test that theory in later days once the trial of this old fool is over and we have all we need to put him away forever. We know that he is guilty of many more crimes than the ones that we have here today. The fact that he cast those spells at all will ensure that he gets a lifelong stay at Club Azkaban. We don't have time for child abusers any more than we have time for thieves or murderers. We will continue to work on this trial and many more throughout the next few weeks."

"The next crime that we will bring to the attention of this esteemed panel is the fact that never once in the ten years after did anyone go and check up on Lord Potter at the residence in question," stated Augusta. "Dumbledore appointed Ms. Arabella Figg to keep watch over Harry and report to him at once if Harry did anything to hurt the Dursleys. There is no evidence to support that the reports were to work in reverse as well. He also made it known to her that if Harry started to display powerful feats of accidental magic that she was to report to him immediately so that he could come and control the situation. We have seen to the woman in question and we know that there have been Compulsion Charms and Obedience Potions in her system. We have her records from St. Mungo's that confirms these allegations. They discovered that the charms were keyed to Albus Dumbledore. We know that he did it as his magical signature is all over her residence."

"Before anyone objects," interjected Amelia. "We do understand that it is circumstantial evidence at best with regards to the charms at Figg's home. It could be something that was done at the person's bequest, but we are not so sure. However, we will look more into the matter and see whether the charms are helpful or harmful. As we speak, we have a team of Curse Breakers going through her home and checking. We are giving Dumbledore the benefit of the doubt on this ONE instance for now. When we have further proof, we will bring it to the attention of the panel. However, even if he is innocent in this instance, he is still guilty of being the one the potion is keyed to as it needs his blood to work."

"Other than the years of abuse, we really don't have a whole lot of items to bring to you all regarding the upbringing of Lord Potter," stated Amelia scanning her list. "Therefore, we will skip ahead to his first year at Hogwarts. Not only does this concern Lord Potter, but it also concerns every single student in the school from that year on. Now according to our records, the very first letter Lord Potter got was addressed to the cupboard under the stairs. Once the Dursleys knew that Hogwarts was trying to get a hold of Lord Potter, they gave him their son's second bedroom. Now from there, our resources tell us that Hagrid was sent to find Harry and escort him personally to Diagon Alley to get his school supplies."

"It has been stated by Griphook that Lord Potter didn't even have his key," said Augusta. "Hagrid informed us that Dumbledore gave it to him and that he was to ensure that Harry got his supplies. We all know that Hagrid loves Harry. He did what he was told as he was loyal to Dumbledore for the assistance that was given when Hagrid was a child. According to Griphook, Harry never once asked about his vaults or knew anything about them. In fact, the goblin told us that Harry was in shock at the amount of gold in his trust vault."

"I thought it was the only one that I had," admitted Harry sadly. "It wasn't until I went back the following year that I learned that I have multiple vaults and lineages. I can safely verify that Draco and Lady Narcissa have been tutoring me on the running of an estate. I am learning how to manage my money and assets. Griphook is also helping me as much as he can in between my schooling and so forth."

"Once school began, we run into problems from the very first night," picked up Sirius. "Headmistress McGonagall, Professor Sprout, and Severus Snape has given testimony as to the way that Lord Potter was treated his first year. Dumbledore has been taking liberties in being just a bit too friendly with Lord Potter, though this in of itself isn't a crime. It is just slightly creepy in a stalker like manner. He had Hagrid remove the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts and placed it in Hogwarts. He has been using Mind Magic on students since before I was a student there. Lord Potter told us and showed us the memory of his first night at the Sorting Feast. In it, Quirrell and Severus treated Harry badly. Due to other things, Severus Snape was abusing his position as Potion's Professor and asked a first year student things that were a fourth year level. We have testimony from Severus Snape to prove that. This was due to what Dumbledore wanted."

"During that same year, Dumbledore allowed a fully grown mountain troll to enter the castle," said Amelia. "We interviewed many students about the night in question. Were it not for the timely actions of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger would not be alive today. They saved her from the troll. As it was, Harry was the brains behind the rescue."

"The next thing that happened was that Dumbledore placed the Mirror of Erised in the school and explained to Lord Potter how it worked," said Augusta glaring at the man. "That is a highly dangerous artifact that the Department of Mysteries has confiscated from the school where it has been sitting until last week. He told the students that the third floor corridor on the right hand side was off limits to those that didn't wish to die a horrible death. Who in their right mind tells a school full of children something like that? All that would do is to cause them to be even more curious about the corridor and what it was hiding."

"They didn't even place a strong ward preventing anyone from getting in there," said Harry sadly. "Hermione used my wand and unlocked the door and we entered. We were out in the halls because Draco challenged me to a Wizard's Duel and Ron accepted. I wasn't really given a chance to voice my own decision nor did I know what they were talking about. Suffice to say, that I showed up and Draco didn't. Anyway, once we escaped from Filch, we entered the room and came face to face with Fluffy. Fluffy is a giant Cerberus. It was so large that it filled the entire hall."

"Are you telling me that three elven year old students entered a room with a dangerous creature in it at Hogwarts?" hissed a member. "You all could have been killed. What were you thinking Dumbledore?"

"I had the situation completely monitored," sounded the reply from the floor. "None of the students were in any danger. I would have seen to it that Harry and his companions were safe. As it was, Harry saved the stone from falling into the hands of Voldemort."

"Actually there were four of us," hissed Harry in anger. "I will also ask Dumbledore to NOT be so friendly with me. YOU may call me Lord Gryffindor or don't call me ANYTHING at all. As for who the fourth person was, it was Neville Longbottom."

"MY GRANDSON DIDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THIS," yelled Augusta standing and pointing at Dumbledore. "You had better pray that you go to jail Dumbledore or I will make sure to hex you until you can't move for the rest of your life. HOW DARE YOU? Any of the students could have been killed. You are the worst Headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen."

"We were able to get through all of the defenses to get to the stone," admitted Harry. "It wasn't that difficult to be honest. When I got to the mirror, Quirrell was there. He wasn't alone though. Voldemort was on the back of his head and they tried to kill me. Thanks to my pure nature, Voldemort couldn't touch me. From what Lord Slytherin has stated Voldemort is the one that really killed Quirrell. Dumbledore blamed his death on me. I was told that Quirrell was already dying by the time that I got involved."

"Lord Salazar Slytherin explained the whole thing to the group of us in the Champion's Wing," acknowledged Severus. "The Minister, Headmistress, and Senior Undersecretary were there when the ghosts of the four founders explained it all. According to them, Voldemort was already killing him due to possessing him. The evil of the Dark Lord is what killed Quirrell and not Lord Potter."

"As Lord Potter isn't on trial, we can move on from that," said a witch from the back of the panel. "We know that Lord Potter wouldn't harm anyone unless said person was trying to harm another. He even put his life at risk to save people that eventually turned their backs on him and have done things to him. We will get to their trial over the next few weeks."

"Things were quiet for the most part from there," continued Sirius looking at his sheet. "Harry had a few minor incidences during the summer, but for the most part, things were better. During his second year, Dumbledore hired Gilderoy Lockhart. It was proven that he never did anything from his books. While the information is mostly accurate, he didn't do any of them. Therefore, the Board of Governors has issued a reimbursement from the estate of Lockhart to all students who had to buy his books. The thing about second year was the fact that it was again Lord Potter and his sidekicks that saved the school from a monster. Ginevra Weasley owes a life debt to Lord Potter for his timely rescue of her from the clutches of the Dark Lord."

"How is she still able to function?" asked Griselda Marchbanks in surprise at this information. "From what I'm to understand, if the Weasley child owes a life debt, then she would be unable to harm Lord Potter. The magic would kill her. Is there something that we are missing?"

"It is our belief that Miss Weasley was never in any danger," admitted Augusta. "From what we can tell, it would appear that she was dying from having her life force drained from her by the Dark Lord. However, if her life WASN'T in danger and this was a setup, she could do what she did and not lose her life or magic. We are looking into that situation. The only thing that we DO know is that a sixty foot or better long basilisk was roaming the school pipes and petrifying students and Dumbledore didn't do anything about it. Lord Potter was the one to eventually slay the beast."

"Third year is a bit tricky for us," said Sirius. "As you all know, at that time, I was a convicted criminal that escaped prison. What DID happen was that Dumbledore sent Harry and Hermione back in time to rescue me and Buckbeak. That by itself is enough to convict Dumbledore on harboring a fugitive even if I was innocent. What happened with the dementors was the fault of the former Minster."

"Fourth year was pretty interesting as Dumbledore forced Lord Potter to compete in the tournament," said Amelia reading the next charge. "All of us know that the age restriction was enough to get him out of the tournament safely. He didn't have to compete. All he had to do was to continue to say no. The magic would have taken affect and protected him as an heir of more than one founder. Dumbledore lied to him and convinced him that things would be alright if he competed. Once Harry stated he understood and accepted being a champion, it changed everything and forced him to compete."

"Now we get to this year," hissed Augusta. "HE refused to do anything about the post of DADA. He let Umbridge into the castle when she doesn't have the qualification to even be a tutor in the subject. She failed her OWL and never retook her exam. She dropped the subject and went with the other core subjects she passed. He knowingly turned a blind eye when he knew she had dark objects in her possession. The wards of Hogwarts told him she had Blood Quills when she entered and he didn't do anything about it. That she used them on certain students is part of her trial. However the blame also lies on Dumbledore for not preventing it."

"The only thing we can do now is break each charge down and see what each person feels we should do about the situation," suggested Amelia. "So I guess we can get started. On the charge of child endangerment and illegally sealing the wills of the Potters, how does the defendant plead?"

"I did what I did to protect Lord Gryffindor," stated Dumbledore catching the glare from Harry. "I would do it again if it saved his life. You all seem to have substantial evidence to support each and every charge. Therefore, I will not disgrace myself by trying to plead that I did what I did for the Greater Good. It seems that even I can't refute these charges no matter how trivial they seem to be."

"Well then, trivial or not, we still have to vote on whether you're guilty or not," said Sirius with a smug grin. "On the charge of locking up and innocent man, for those that believe him to be guilty, light your wand."

Of the seventy members of the Wizengamot, sixty eight lit up. Sirius abstained from voting, as did Amelia.

"The panel finds Dumbledore guilty," declared Augusta. "You will serve twenty four years in Azkaban for that. One is for each year that Lord Black spent there and one additional one for the abuse of power and miscarriage of justice."

"On the charges of illegally sealing the will of an Ancient family, theft from a child, and naming himself magical guardian falsely, we will need to vote on his guilt and innocence," said Sirius looking at his paper. "If you feel that he is guilty, then light up your wand."

All seventy wands lit for this charge. Many were furious at the old wizard for stealing from Harry. They wanted to see justice served for him.

"You will serve thirty years for these charges," said Augusta. "I hope that you feel every year that you subjected Harry to those awful people. Your vaults will be given over to Lord Potter to cover the missing funds that weren't able to be reclaimed. The rest will be given to him for his pain and suffering."

"On the charges of child abuse, child negligence, binding the magic illegally of a minor, and use of Blood Wards that backfired, how does the panel find him?" asked Sirius. "If you find him innocent of all, don't light your wands. If you find him guilty of only one, then light your wand in white. For two, light your wand in blue. For three, light your wand in green. For a guilty verdict of all four, light your wand in red."

Every single wand lit up. Over sixty were in red. Most of the others were in green. Dumbledore sighed as he saw his former friends glare at him for his miscarriage of justice and offense to the community as a whole.

"You have been found guilty by a panel of your peers," stated Augusta maliciously. "For that, you will receive forty years of imprisonment. This results in ten years for each offense. Be fortunate that we aren't giving your more than that."

"For the events surrounding Lord Potter's first year, please light your wands if you feel he is guilty," intoned Sirius. "White for only one, blue for two, green for three, red for four, and purple for all five. We want it known that all documents presented to you have been signed by the verifiers of the information."

Sixty eight wands lit in purple. The remaining two lit their wands in red. Sirius was looking at Dumbledore with glee on his face.

"As you have been found guilty by your peers, we are giving you the following," said Augusta. "You are to serve fifteen years for each offense. That's a total of seventy five years in Azkaban for your folly. We will need to wrap this up. Even someone like Dumbledore won't live through most of what we are sentencing him for. Sirius please just lump the rest of his charges into one."

"The last four charges that we are trying him for is as follows," intoned Sirius again. "Knowing about and doing nothing towards the basilisk in the school, hiring a fraud to teach children, harboring a fugitive, and risking the life of a student by tricking him to compete in a dangerous tournament, please light your wands accordingly. Once more, that's white for one, blue for two, green for three and red for four."

Sixty three red lights lit up. The rest were blue. Dumbledore didn't stand a chance. He knew that he had to make his closing remarks count. His life wouldn't be the same from here. He had one more trick up his sleeve.

"Well," said Augusta glaring at the old man. "It should come to no surprise that you are found guilty. By my calculations, you are to be sentenced to two hundred and nine years in prison without a chance for parole. Do you have any final words to say?"

"Only that if you arrest me for that long that you will lose the war against Voldemort," said Dumbledore snidely. "By Lord Potter having the Horcrux in his head that long, he will have dark tendencies. He will be a danger to everyone once he learns that he can tap into the power of the Dark Lord. The connection will allow him to use Voldemort's magic."

"Are you really that stupid?" asked Harry before anyone could speak. "Were you not sitting there when it was said that the link between me and the Dark Lord was closed and broken? WE REMOVED HIS TAINT FROM ME! I will not now nor will I EVER be a dark Lord. As it is easy to get broken out of Azkaban, I have a suggestion to give."

"As you have the most power and prestige, what do you suggest?" asked Sirius. "Most of his crimes were against you and your family. We are willing to listen to any and all ideas that you may have regarding this man."

"Rather than send him to Azkaban, I suggest we give him alternate lodgings," said Harry with a cunning look on his face. "He likes playing in people's vaults so much, let's let the goblins of Gringotts have a new slave to work in their mines by creating new vaults and so forth. We can leave the collar and cuffs on him to assist in preventing him from escaping, but with the goblins, he can't use Mind Magic or anything on them. I suggest that we send him to prison in the goblin mines."

"That is a great suggestion," said Augusta. "If the panel agrees, we will do as you suggest. For those that agree with Lord Potter, please light your wands in red. If you disagree, a white light will suffice.

All seventy members lit their wands in red. Harry sat back with a smile on his face. Severus was whispering his congratulations in his ear. Draco, Neville, Susan, Luna, and many others were all grinning madly at the outcome of the trial. For once, the one who hid for so long in the light was finally brought to justice for his dark ways. Griphook and Ragnok stood with a contingent of warriors and took the prisoner away.

The group left the courtroom. Severus was walking next to Harry with the others surrounding them to keep them safe. Harry looked over and saw Rita Skeeter in the crowd and raised his finger at her in warning. Severus waited until the crowd was thinned by the Aurors before asking again.

"What is with you and Rita Skeeter?" he asked. "She seems to be slightly scared of you. Do you have some kind of dirt on her that helps keep her poisoned quill away from you? I have noticed that she doesn't write as much about you as before. Can you tell us now what is going on between the two of you?"

"She is an unregistered Animagus," explained Harry quietly to his group. "For all of her faults, Hermione IS intelligent. She figured out at the end of last year how Rita was getting all of those stories about me. Her form is a beetle. She can get around without being seen as she is so small. She doesn't write about me anymore as I threatened to turn her in. You know how protective of me Sirius and Amelia are. Rita wouldn't make it very long in Club Azkaban. So with that threat weighing on her mind, she leaves me alone. I do give her tidbits of information from time to time and she gets paid very well to write what I tell her to write. This way, she stays out of jail, and my name isn't mud in the tabloids."

"Now that is a very Slytherin way of handling this situation," remarked Severus. "That is the best way to handle people like her. She gets some of what she wants and you get the peace and quiet that you wanted from the papers. What other business did you want to tend to while we are out and about? The other students are going back to school and I know you mentioned you wanted to go to the bank."

"I want to check with Lord Ragnok about my Head of House rings," said Harry as Sirius and Amelia joined them. "As Luna is my soul bonded mate, I want to look in my family vault and see if we have any betrothal rings in there. Does anyone know if my mum and dad's rings are back in my vault? If not, I would like to know what mum's ring looked like so I can get one for Luna."

"We looked into that," said Amelia walking beside him. "From what Sirius found out for you, HER ring is back in the vault. Your father never wore one. I'm sure there are sets in there for you to choose from. I don't know much about the rings as I wasn't that familiar with your parents outside of work."

"It was an emerald," said Severus while Sirius nodded in agreement. "It was one of the biggest that I ever laid eyes on. I may not have any love for your father, but I did love your mother. James Potter made sure she had the best of everything. The stone in the ring was the same color as your eyes. Surrounding it was tiny diamonds. The band itself is platinum. She and I talked after she was married, and she showed it to me. I have to admit that it is a beautiful piece of jewelry. Your father had good taste when it came to things like that."

"Your father's ring had a single emerald chip in it," said Sirius with a thoughtful look on his face. "I don't remember if there was a diamond also or not. It has been fifteen years since I paid any mind to their jewelry. Due to James being an Auror, he couldn't wear hand jewelry. The job does get dirty if you know what I mean. He placed his back in the vault for safe keeping. Your mother was slightly disappointed, but she knew the risks involved and understood. Your mother was a great woman."

"From what you all tell me, she was one of the smartest people around," Harry said while smiling. "Even Severus says she was brilliant. I just hope that I can do half as well as her and dad did when it comes to learning what I need to know. I want to do well in my studies not only for myself, but for my parents."

"The top five students in our year was James, Lily, Me, Severus, and Remus," said Sirius with a serious tone to his voice. "While the rivalry between the marauders and Severus was high, even we had to admit that he was intelligent. He still is in my opinion. He just made some bad decisions. We all did. It's all a part of living. As for you doing as well as them, from what Severus and the founders are telling us, you have already superseded them when they were your age. Severus says you are soaking everything up faster than they can teach it to you."

"Now that you don't have the weight of the binds, Weasley brats, and Granger, you are the top in the school right now," said Severus. "I can't give you any better praise than that. You are the best in the entire school with Draco and Luna right behind you in grades. Granger was there too, but now that she has to come back and repeat her year next year, she is out of the running. You should never try and compete with your parents. While it is good that you want to walk in their footsteps, you are your own person and should do things your way. It won't hurt them or their memory to be you and not a miniature version of them."

"Listen to him Harry," said Amelia patting him gently on the arm. "He knows what he is talking about. I'm glad that he decided to sponsor you all and personally teach the lot of you. This has helped him just as much as it helped you. He is coming out of his shell and he seems happier now that he is protected from all forms of injustice. Severus may have acted a certain way, but in other ways, he was just as much a victim as you were. It's why the founders and we gave him a second chance. We wanted HIM to decide to work with you rather than against you."

"I'm glad that he did," said Harry smiling at Severus. "He is a veritable well of information and he seems to enjoy giving that information to us when we want it. Now that he and I aren't fighting anymore, I actually enjoy learning from him. He doesn't have to hide anymore and can be himself. It is all I want for everyone."

By this time, the small group made it to Gringotts. Griphook and Ragnok met him in the entryway as soon as their small group arrived. Harry grinned at his friends and was pleased to see them give him one in return.

"What can we do for you today Lord Potter?" asked Griphook as he led the group to Ragnok's office. "We can tell you that Dumbledore is already hard at work in the mines. We needed someone like him to teach other thieves and lesson about what happens when people break the law. We were able to ascertain that he was going to attempt to break out of Azkaban. Even with him magic blocked, he was already coming up with a plan that more than likely would have worked."

"I'm sure you will make him sorry," said Harry matching their grins. "I'm here for two purposes actually. I want to get my soul bonded a ring. I was told that my mother's wedding ring was in my vaults. I would like to retrieve that and my dad's. I also want to ask about the Head of House Rings. If it isn't too much of a breach of trust and contract, I was hoping that I could bring Luna and Susan their rings as well for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. With Lucius out of the picture, I'm not sure what we can do for him as he isn't an heir of the founders."

"That is easily taken care of," assured Griphook as he led and then gestured for them to get into the private carts. "We can let you bring them to the girls. As for Scion Malfoy, he has his heir apparent ring already. Once he comes of age, he will receive his Head of House ring. His mother is still alive and not in jail, so she is executor of the estate until he turns seventeen."

"Harry will need the Heir apparent ring of the Black family as well," added Sirius. "He is my named heir after all. What are you going to do with so many rings Harry?"

"From what I'm to understand, they combine with one another," answered Harry quickly. "If I understood right, it will show the Potter ring first and foremost as that is the most recent and current name of my family. If I want the others to show for whatever reason, that ring will appear in place of the Potter ring. Unless I understood that wrong, then I don't have to worry about wearing so many rings all at once. It will look like I'm wearing three rings total."

"You understood correctly," assured Severus nodding with a pleased expression. "That is the way that it works. It will go Potter/Evans, then Slytherin, Peverell, and Gryffindor. Any other head status will not be as important due to who you are already."

"There are two more that I can wear, but I don't want to at this time if at all," said Harry while the rest raised curious eyebrows. "I can claim the Head of House of the Emrys and Pendragon lines as well. I believe that I have enough on my plate as it is. Griphook and Ragnok have assured me that they will catalog the two vaults and send me a report on what I have in there. That way, if I want an item, I can send for it."

Shock followed his statement. Not many knew that Harry's family was more important than they already were. When Harry noticed the silence, he looked around and scowled.

"I'm just me," he said slightly hurt. "I don't want to be treated any more different than I already am. It's bad enough that it's out that I'm related to Godric and Salazar and will eventually marry Rowena's heir. I don't need it known that I'm an actual living King. I just want to enjoy my life and have a little fun while I learn. I don't want to be king or be treated like one. I just want to be Harry. So can we not get all weird please?"

"I'll apologize for all of us," said Severus quickly. "You are correct in that you don't need that information getting out. We will protect your secret. Let's get what we came for and let's get you back to Hogwarts. I'm sure that there are people wondering where you are and what you are doing."

"Thank you," said Harry as the cart stopped in front of the Potter vault. "Let's see what we have inside. I didn't get a chance to really look around that much. I just want my rings for today. Do you think anyone will need anything at the castle? If so, I can grab some gold while we are here."

"I don't think so," said Severus thinking about it. "However, it wouldn't hurt for you to bring some just in case. That way, you have it in case they do need something. Though many of them are well off on their own and won't need you to buy things for them."

"I would like to see about getting a contract for Fred and George to go in as a silent partner in their joke shop," mentioned Harry casually looking at Griphook and getting a nod. "I think they would be great at it and they are already improving their form at school. I'm sure I have a building or something I can donate to the business. We can worry about that at another time though. Sirius and Remus might want to get involved at some point also."

Harry was given the four Head of House rings that he wanted for himself as well as those for Luna and Susan. He was looking at some of the other jewelry when he noticed the ring that just had to be his mother's. It was just as Severus described it. With a hitch in his breath, he gently picked up the exquisite piece and examined it. Severus looked on in silence while Sirius picked up James' ring as well. Harry noticed a few other pieces of jewelry that he quickly had Griphook place in protective cases.

"Some of these will make great Christmas presents," said Harry. "Look Severus. This ring has a stone that is the same color and shine as your eyes. It's nice in a dark sort of way."

Harry quickly handed the ring to Griphook who placed it in a box for him. When they were done, Harry grabbed some money while Griphook packed all of his parcels into a small crate. Harry placed a spell of concealment in parseltongue on it and handed it to Severus to carry for safety reasons. There were a few things that caught Harry's eye, but he left them there for later. He would just send a note to Griphook when he needed them. When they were done, they left the bank. Severus grabbed Harry and quickly apparated him to the entrance of the school grounds. Sirius and Amelia joined them right after and escorted them to the castle. Things would be busy for a few days and gossip would be flying soon.

So far, all was well in Harry's world. After all, tomorrow is another day. For now, he wanted to enjoy himself. One enemy was out of the way. Soon there would be others following.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – I'm going to stop right here for now. This story takes me a bit longer to write the chapters due to detail and length. Thanks in advance for your patience. Next chapter will have the trial of the Banshee and Harry will propose to Luna.


	7. To Silence the Banshee

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 7 – To Silence the Banshee**

Harry and Severus arrived just in time for dinner. The rest of the group all waited around to see if Harry had gotten his private business done and if there were any troubles. Once Luna made sure that Harry was alright and healthy, Harry spoke to the group.

"Things went as smooth as silk," said Harry pulling out Luna and Hannah's rings and handing them to each girl. "I spoke with Griphook and Lord Ragnok and they gave me permission to bring the Head of House rings for both of you ladies. They said to tell you that it was a pleasure being able to help you in the little fashion that they did. I already have my rings, and I picked up a few more things that I can give to people for Christmas and such from my vault. I had a great time looking around. There are so many things in the vault that I had a hard time deciding on what to pick. Griphook told me that he will send me an itemized list for my perusal later. That way, I can just pick up more items if I want them. For now, let's eat. I'm starving here. I want to stuff myself silly and then maybe we can discuss how we feel about the trial unless the founders have something else planned for this evening."

"Just so you know," said Luna quietly so that only the group of them could hear. "There are still some girls and a couple of boys here that think they can get you away from me and vice versa trying to get us involved in some marriage contracts and other such nonsense. I'm not getting full visions, but from what I can see, some of them are going to do anything and everything to make sure we marry one of them. They are determined to get their grubby hands on the Potter, Gryffindor, and Slytherin fortunes not to mention what I'm due to inherit next year from Ravenclaw. Now that you are heir to the Black family fortune as well, they are more determined. I got brief images of potions being used."

"That's not a good thing," said Draco with a sigh as they sat down and began to eat. "Why can't these idiots understand that we want and need to be left alone? I sometimes think that the castle has a stupid spell on it that affects the way people think around here. Even if they do marry Harry, they can't get their hands on those vaults. You have to be blood related to get the vaults of the Founders or an Ancient and Noble family unless they are willed to someone. I swear some of these people have fluff between their ears. Don't any of them read? Those that have a soul bond aren't affected by love potions and certain charms. They wouldn't be able to steal us that way anyway. It makes me want to start punching people for their absurdity."

"I think I can stop some of that in a few moments," said Harry after swallowing some of his food. "I have a way that will stop people from trying to claim something that they can't from this moment on. I have to speak with Lady Narcissa first. If I'm successful, then I can save all four of us in one swoop. All I ask is that if I'm successful that you make sure to replace what I will loan you until you can get one of your own or pay me back for it. For now, what I want all of us to do is to start scanning the hall suspiciously. We need to make some of the fluff bunnies feel very uncomfortable until I spring my surprise on everyone. If we can make them feel uncomfortable, we can really throw the blood hounds off the scent."

"You know that I'm an expert at making people feel uncomfortable," said Severus with a wry grin. "They don't call me the dungeon bat for nothing. You go and speak with Narcissa right now and let us take over here. All of those that live in the Champion's Tower can assist me. Draco and I can use some of our old persona to make people feel uncomfortable. We have that down to an art form."

"Do you know what he is about to do?" asked Draco as Harry stood up and walked over to Narcissa. "Is it going to embarrass me in any way, shape, or form? If so, then I don't want him to do it. I like our friendship and I don't wish to jeopardize what we have recently acquired. We have worked hard on this over the last few weeks."

"Trust me when I say that you will be pleasantly surprised and grateful," assured Severus as Harry and Narcissa started talking quietly with one another. "He is going to pick out all of the greedy ones in one sting. Some of these boys and girls are not going to WANT to look at his vaults, yours, or any one sitting at this table when he is done. We all know that Harry takes good care of those he calls friend. He would never do anything to embarrass you or anyone else if he could get around it. As much as I despised is father, I can honestly say that Harry didn't pick up the bad traits from James. He is all Lily in that aspect of his personality."

Draco sighed and nodded his head. That statement was absolutely true. Even when he and Harry were enemies, that trait alone was one that Draco envied the most. Together, the group scanned the hall and from time to time rested a piercing look at someone or a group. They kept note of those that flushed, looked angry, or those that looked like they were hiding something. Harry rejoined the group and handed a small parcel to Draco.

"Just follow my lead and trust me," whispered Harry. "Things will be so much easier for us once this is done. I haven't led you wrong since all of this started, and I don't plan on it now. You will actually thank me for this later. All of the lessons that the founders have been giving us will finally pay off tonight. They will be proud of all of us."

Draco just nodded his head and let Harry carry out his plan. It was a mark of faith that Draco didn't blush or falter when he realized what Harry handed him and who he looked at. Draco understood his meaning loud and clear. Harry gestured for his dorm mates to follow him. Minerva sat there looking oddly at them for a moment. She knew Harry was up to something, but at that moment, she didn't know what. Severus always had the look on his face that stated to not ask, but her curiosity was eating her alive. She was about to turn her attention away when Harry stopped and looked around the hall.

"Rumor has it that some of the young men and women in this castle think that they can try and interfere with what the founders are laying down for their Champions," he called in a loud voice so that everyone could hear. The Founders were also listening with rapt attention. "If you look at a rumor hard enough, you will find the truth lying somewhere underneath. However, in this case, the truth of the matter is more important than what is being passed around the school. In this case, it's sad to note that the rumors are in fact plots and very accurate in their destinations. The four Founders are working with us to enhance our natural abilities and to learn those that we didn't think we knew. Normally, this would be for anyone, but some people still have it in their minds that they can demand something or attempt something and win the big prize. I'm going to state right here and now that the four Champions of the Founders ARE NOT prizes for you to collect. We are people just like everyone else and deserve to be treated as such."

Minerva wasn't sure what this was leading to. Narcissa and Severus just shook their heads at her before turning their attention back to the drama unfolding on the floor. Harry needed to do this in his style and in his own way without interference from anyone. Minerva then realized that Harry was acting as his titles dictated. What she wasn't expecting was what happened next. Harry nodded to Draco and both young men dropped to one knee. Each held a box in their hands. The eyes of the two female Champions widened in shock and then happiness.

"Luna Mia Lovegood, will you do me the honor of marrying me?" asked Harry as Draco echoed his sentiments to Susan. "By you marrying me, I can ensure that you will never be harmed again. As my wife, you will live the life that you should. I will make sure that you never need anything for as long as we both live. If you agree, then we can combine the blood of three of the founders. You would also make me the happiest man around."

"Oh I beg to differ," said Draco before Luna could speak. "If Susan marries me, then I will be the happiest. I have you beat this time Potter. There is no way that you will be happier than me."

Some of the people around the hall were giggling at the antics. Trust Harry and Draco to still compete. That they were doing it in a friendly manner wasn't lost on many in the crowd. There were a few young men and women that were sitting with angry looks on their faces at what was transpiring at that moment. Those same people knew that there was NOTHING that could be done about it now. Once all of this started, then there was no way they could counteract the situation.

"I accept your proposal," said Luna and Susan in unison before Luna carried on alone. "As your future wife, I can guarantee the same thing to you that you offered to me. My father will be pleased. He told me that he hoped that a nice young man that had good morals and a wonderful personality would ask me to marry him. I have all of that in you. I would be happy to be your wife. It will make our growing soul bond even stronger. It will also tell those that desire to split us up that they have no chance in hell of succeeding in their twisted quests."

"I hope that you are brave enough to tell my Aunt Amelia," said Susan while Harry and Luna started to laugh at Draco's horrified expression. "Though knowing her, she will just say that it's about time you asked me. She really has been expecting this since we found out that we are to be soul bonded. I also agree with Luna that those greedy people that wanted us for more than friendship have a right to be disappointed as we are now officially off the market."

By now, all of the adults were applauding. They watched as Harry opened the box and took out the ring and slid it on Luna's finger. Draco did the same with the ring that Harry handed him with a promise to reimburse him for it.

"This ring belonged to my mother," Harry told Luna softly but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Severus says that the emerald was cut and designed by my father because it matched her eyes. Everyone knows that my eyes and those of my mother are identical in every way. I thought that this ring would be fitting for you as my future wife. I have my dad's ring also that I will wear when we get married. I hope that you like it. If not, I can get you something else."

"The ring is beautiful," said Hannah, Daphne, and a few other ladies pushing Harry and Draco to the side. "The piece is exquisite and breathtaking all at once. You are one lucky set of girls to have the hottest men in the castle ask you to marry them. You ladies HAVE to let us help you plan the weddings. Some of us have relatives that do these sorts of things and we learned from them."

Still gabbing, the girls left the area while the guys were standing there wondering how they got dismissed so easily. The professors and guys of their dorm congratulated them on their success. Harry and Draco thanked everyone and quickly left to make sure that their counterparts were safe. They could hear the young women further down the hall chatting about gowns, food, and hair. When it became too much, Harry and Draco called for the girls to let them leave.

"Those of us that are being trained by the founders have to go," stated Harry politely but firmly. "We can't be late for our next lesson even in light of the great news you all just witnessed. I do apologize, but we do need to go. Luna and Susan will be happy to talk with you all later. All we ask is that when you do that you do it where someone can keep an eye out on you all in case of trouble. I don't want my Luna girl getting hurt by someone who is angry with all of this. Her safety is off the utmost importance to me."

With that, Harry and Draco held out their arms for their ladies and escorted them back to their dorms. The rest of their dorm followed quickly with Severus and Narcissa bringing up the rear. The founders were delighted by what Harry and Draco did. They knew that by combining the lines that they would be stronger in the face of danger.

"We knew this day would come," said Rowena. "Once their children are old enough, we can have an heir with all four of our blood in it. This will keep the lines from ever ending and protecting our hard work for centuries to come. We need to do something about the conniving people that are still after our heirs. They can't keep trying to harm our grandchildren. We may need to step in once more and remove some more bad rubbish from our ranks of students."

"I don't think you have to worry about that for too much longer," intoned Severus with a serious look on his face. "Harry is a Potter, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. He will make sure that everything goes according to plan. I knew he was going to ask her, but I didn't realize that he would do it tonight or in the manner that he did. He will make sure that your blood continues on. The one thing that I always envied about him was his loyalty and dedication to people. I'm NOT a people person nor have I ever been or will be. He has enough charisma to outclass, outshine, and out befriend a group of people. He will make an able leader when he gets old enough. He does it already without even knowing or trying."

"I'm so happy for both couples," said Helga smiling brightly. "I know we are pushing them a bit hard, but it's for the best that we do things the way we are. Dumbledore may be out of the picture, but Riddle isn't and he has some powerful people working with him. How did things go at the trial? Were our lessons on decorum worth the effort?"

"You would have been proud of all four of them," answered Severus honestly. "Harry asked for and was able to claim the seats for Potter, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Peverell. With his help, Luna appointed Augusta Longbottom as proxy until she comes of age at fifteen. Draco and Susan took their seats with Draco sitting in while his mother holds the seat until he turns seventeen. The Wizengamot hit Albus with everything they could and he will be in prison for two hundred and nine years. However, it was Harry who gave the old fool one last kick."

"What do you mean?" asked Narcissa without really thinking. "Harry didn't do anything barbaric like, kicking the old man, did he? I know he doesn't like Dumbledore for what he did, but that's no reason to embarrass himself in front of the Wizengamot by acting like a muggle barbarian."

"It was a figure of speech Narcissa," said Severus with a weary sigh and rubbing his temples. "Harry didn't literally kick him. He gave the old fool some justified punishment. Instead of going to Azkaban where Albus could probably escape, Harry came up with a better solution. The old goat has to spend the time he has left in life or the next two hundred years with the goblins of Gringotts. Mind Magic and certain other forms of magic won't work on the goblins and they have no intention of letting him use magic at all. His new home is the prisons of Gringotts. He will spend the rest of his life creating vaults for new people or improving the older ones manually, or shoveling dragon dung. Either way, he will be busy until he dies or is released."

"I feel like such an idiot," mumbled a very red Narcissa. "Of course Harry wouldn't do something like that. I feel so foolish. I'm glad that things worked out for the best where that old fool is concerned. There is something that I thought about while we were eating and I wanted to bring it to Harry's attention. I don't know if it's possible, but it IS worth a try. If it can be done, then we may have something that will assist Harry and the rest of the Champions get an edge of Voldemort. Merlin knows that we need all of the advantages that we can get."

"I'm going to start working with Harry in using the Elder wand," mentioned Godric. "During the group lessons, we have other histories and such we want to teach the youngsters. We know that Harry has an advantage with DADA, but I think we can get him into a more advanced training method. The others will just have to keep up as best as they can. It's time to work with all of them on the physical aspect of things."

"I have an idea that might help," said Severus. "We can try it out first thing tomorrow morning. Shall we get on with their lessons for the night? The sooner we get it done, the sooner they can get whatever homework started, finished, or what have you done. I know that even though we are teaching them as we are that they are still young men and women and they need to do some leisure activities as well. Maybe we can treat them to something in the muggle world every now and then as a reward for their hard work and dedication."

When the group made it back to the Champion's Tower, they sat around at their desks and waited for their instruction to begin. Narcissa took the floor first as she wanted to present her idea and thought before they forgot it and it was lost in the flow of time. She was certain that it could be done. It was a matter of doing it that caused her concern.

"I'd like to present a thought to Harry," she began while pacing slightly. "We noticed that Dumbledore lost the Elder wand to him with a simple Expelliarmus. When you were in the graveyard, didn't you tell me that you and the Dark Lord fought and your wands combined? Also didn't you tell us that your wand beat his?"

"We did duel," answered Harry with curiosity. "We both cast a spell at the same time and a gold beam shot out and connected the wands for a bit. It was how Cedric was able to tell me to bring his body back and I got to see my mum and dad. There was a bubble of energy in the connecting light. I knew that if that bubble touched my wand that I would lose the fight. I pushed every ounce of energy I had into making sure that the bubble touched his wand and not mine."

"That's what I thought you explained to everyone when you came back," said Narcissa. "Draco told me he overheard what you had said about the wand connection. We later learned that your wand and the wand of the Dark Lord are brothers. It was during Draco's eavesdropping days that he learned where Dobby went and about the pudding incident and such. Now that you boys are friends, we know more as you outright tell us."

"Were you going somewhere with the recalling of what happened with the wands?" asked Harry slightly confused now. "I always knew that Draco was listening. I made sure he knew about Dobby as a way to rub it in Lucius' face. That man should have known better than to attack me. Dobby knocked him down three flights of steps."

"The reason I brought this up is simple," acknowledged Narcissa suppressing a grin. "If you were able to claim the Elder wand with a simple Disarming Spell, then why haven't you been able to claim the wand of the Dark Lord due to your wand beating it that night in the graveyard? From what I know about wand lore, when a person beats another in a real battle or duel, the wand switches allegiances. My thought is that you can get his wand and stop the twin core protection from saving him when and if you two fight again. With you having the Elder wand, you have an advantage as you and that particular wand bonded."

"Then I have a few questions," admitted Harry after a moment of thought. "Didn't you all say that the prophecy is a fake? If so, then why do I have to meet him again? I don't want to fight him anymore than I have to. If the prophecy is a fake and it's something that Dumbledore started, then anyone can defeat him just as easy as anyone else. I don't want to become a murderer."

"While it is true that the prophecy is a fake, HE doesn't know that," said Rowena slowly. "We all know that you don't have to fight him or destroy him, but he doesn't know that. He heard part of the prophecy and that was enough for him to continue to come after you. What Narcissa has presented is an option even if it is a dangerous one. You can claim his wand, but to do so, you would have to meet him face to face again. That may not be the best course of action. All you can do is wait and be patient while we hang on to that knowledge for the future. He doesn't have the Slytherin magic that he thinks he does, nor will his wand work on you again the future as you have defeated it."

"I'm sure we can do that," admitted Harry after a moment. "I would rather not, but if it can't be helped, then it can't be helped. I just hope that I'm better prepared the next time that I meet him. I don't want another repeat like we had in the graveyard. I would like to know that I can hold my own against him and make it so that I have a better chance of winning should I have to fight him again. My next question is do we have any more information on his remaining horcruxes? The sooner we get the rest of them, the sooner anyone has a chance of stopping him once and for all."

"We know that the Ministry is working on it," said Severus. "We know that Sirius is doing all he can to find and destroy the items. We have taken care of the locket, diadem, your scar, the diary, and I think they got the cup. That leaves two left. We are sure that his snake is one and the ring. Once we have those two items, we can make sure he is down for good this time. He can't come back if he doesn't have an anchor."

Harry breathed a little easier hearing that. He knew that Sirius and the rest were working hard. He just wanted to make sure that they were actually making progress on their searches. He knew that there was much to do, but he didn't want anyone that he cared for to get hurt in the process. He was not stupid enough to think that it wasn't a possibility that something would go wrong and he would lose another person close to him. Anything was possible when you were dealing with a Dark Lord.

"Before we get to our lesson for the night, I have a personal question for Draco," stated Harry a bit hesitantly. "These last few weeks with you being our friend have been wonderful. We help each other out and everyone is surpassing the school with knowledge and skill level. What I would like to know is WHY you accepted all of this so readily and did the one eighty from being a total prat to the nice person that you are now? What happened that led you to accept all of this so easily?"

"There are a number of reasons that the transition was so easy for me," admitted Draco after thinking about the question for a moment. "The first one is that we are related. A Black family member CAN'T do lethal damage to another Black family member. While neither of us have the name of Black, we are still part of the same family. Both my mother and your grandmother are Blacks. The magic will not allow us to detrimentally harm one another. We are able to fight and argue, but not harm with the intent to kill or maim."

"That's one logical way of looking at it," said Harry thoughtfully. "Being family helps. It would also explain why you never physically harmed Ron or Ginny. They are descendants of the Black family as well. With us being more in line with the family, it is a little different with us. What is the other reason? You stated you have more."

"The other reason is that like you, I'm a very intelligent person," said Draco shrugging. "Mother and Uncle Sirius said that things had to be a certain way. I didn't like what father preached about muggles and muggle born. I like the idea that everyone with magic should get along. I did what I had to do to stay out of the way of his anger and disdain. I didn't want to be disinherited from the family for something childish like not agreeing with him. It was simpler to put on a fake face and do what he asked. If you notice, even though I verbally sparred with you, not once did I outright attack you with intent to harm. Even that day I sent that hex at your back, it wasn't anything more than a Stinging Hex. Crouch just ended the confrontation before it got out of hand. I don't hate you and never have. Like all of us that hide from the Dark Lord, I played my part to stay out of the line of his anger."

"That does make sense if you think about it," said Susan. "Draco never did anything dangerous to anyone. Ninety nine percent of what he did was verbal abuse and nothing more. It wasn't even that lethal if you think about it. He found one thing to use and stuck with it until a better opportunity came into effect. Also, some of his verbal garbage was due to all of us being so young. We are more mature now and we know that things have to be a certain way. None of us present are stupid or weak. We know that there are things that we need to learn and do to make this world a better place for all magic users."

The adults and ghosts all nodded with relief at the words that were going back and forth. Things had a way of working themselves out if you just let what was to happen, happen. Harry and Draco now talked to each other about issues when they arose. Neither went after the other halfcocked or angry. They sat down and discussed the issues like mature people would and came up with sound ideas and decisions.

"I want to tell you about that locket," said Salazar bringing the group back to the purpose of the gathering. "When I created it, it had mainly one purpose. It was designed to help those of MY blood speak the language of snakes if they didn't have a natural affinity for the gift. Like the others, I made sure that I created something that would assist my heirs if they didn't inherit key traits of mine. The ability to speak parseltongue isn't just limited to our family. We know that people in India can do it as snakes are a main part of their lives. However, it isn't a common gift of those in THIS part of the world or of those without the Indian blood running in their veins. When I learned that I could speak the language, I wanted to ensure that every one of my bloodline would be able to do so as well. It is a powerful and useful gift after all. So much good can be done using the language. Healing and protection are top benefactors with a spell said in parseltongue. Therefore, I created the locket so that anyone possessing it that had my blood running through their veins would be able to speak the language even if they couldn't before."

"Many people believed that we imbibed our personal items with great feats of magic," said Helga continuing on. "We just added spells so that the one thing we are known for would be the greatest gift that we could leave to those that carry on our bloodlines. It was later that some of our descendants found the items and added their own spells and such to the items changing them from their original purposes. My Cup was to assist those in need of healing. I have no idea what it does now."

"Probably not anything anymore," mumbled Harry with embarrassment. "If it was a host for a Horcrux, then it is destroyed and all magic that was put into it was destroyed. If we can find your notes, we can always create ORIGINALS of the four items and not have all of the extra crap that was placed on them. I would love to take the time to study your notes and see what we can do to bring back the image and power that the four of you placed in this school. We don't want it to be a battlefield anymore. We want to be able to learn what we are here to learn and not worry about propaganda that doesn't have anything to do with us."

"I think what he means is that it doesn't have anything to do with us yet," added Draco. "We do have to worry about that in the future, but we SHOULD be able to just be teens and finished learning how to control our magic rather than being slammed into the politics that goes with everything these days. Some of the laws and such given are so stupid that I can't believe that people even follow them. Lucius was bad about using his money to pass laws to harm innocent people."

"I never wanted anyone not of our blood to have that locket," admitted Salazar nodding at Draco and Harry's insight. "Many of my spells were designed using parseltongue as the basis. I knew that if someone other than a Slytherin got their hands on that locket that they would be able to not only speak the language, but to read it as well. This is why I hid my books and such from those that would make my hard work go dark. Tom Riddle can speak the langue, but he is not of the blood. When he got the locket, he used it for dark purposes. That's why we want those artifacts that have been tainted destroyed. We don't want unsuspecting people to use the items thinking that they can have the gifts that are meant for those of our blood. We don't want hundreds of people in the British Isles knowing how to speak parseltongue. We also don't want my books and spells to fall into the hands of others."

"You have to understand one thing," said Godric. "When a powerful witch or wizard like us creates something, we want to protect that item from those that would use said items opposite of what we created them for. Even the modern practitioners of the old ways keep their books and blessed items a secret so that others can't find or use them in manners that they were never designed to be used for. It's why the sword stayed in the office of the Headmaster or Mistress of the school since I passed unless it was needed by one of the Gryffindor bloodline. It isn't a common sword or weapon. It enhances one's ability to fight by giving them endurance and a better ability in DADA. It won't tell you what spells to use, but it will make the spells that you do use stronger. The sword is another wand in a sense that you can use to cast spells. It's why it's such a valuable item of the Gryffindor line."

"Keep in mind that as Godric's last living heir, that you can use the sword just as easy as he did," stated Rowena wisely. "He used it with great efficiency when he was alive. The sword will work just as well for you as it did for him. All you need is a bit of practice. Once you get the hang of it, it will be second nature to you. Add in that we will teach you all wandless magic and you will all be powerful enough to stand against anyone that is threatening the castle or each other."

"While we may not be able to actively cast the magic ourselves, we can give you the theories and people like Severus and Minerva can help you with the practical aspects of things," said Salazar. "We are your guides only. Much of what you have learned or done since the night we intervened has been done on your own power and steam. We just help you when and how you need it. Each of you present in THIS tower is very unique in your own way."

"The rest of the school is unique as well," assured Rowena when Harry's face darkened. "What we mean is that those of you here are here because of something we saw in you that we can help you enhance. There are key elements in all of you that the rest of the school will never have. We are your voice and Severus is your arm. We will teach you what we know."

The group all talked well into the evening about things they needed to know for the upcoming weeks. Harry and his party would ask questions and they would all sit and listen with rapt attention to what was being said about the subject matter at hand.

"We need to bring Hermione back," said Harry suddenly startling everyone. "I know she was partially acting under her own reconnaissance, but she was being influenced. She is the lesser of all of the evils that happened in this situation regarding Dumbledore and the Weasley trio. Hermione may have acted badly, but she really did help when it came to making sure that we learned what we needed to in order to pass our classes. If we can forgive Severus for what he did, then we can forgive Hermione also. Just make sure that all monies that she got are repaid, and we will be alright. She can make a Vow to never do anything like that again."

"I'll speak with Sirius, Minerva, and Amelia about it," promised Narcissa. "You do have a point. She wasn't dark or evil. She just fell to the influence and was used. She may have done certain things on her own, but she was being coerced. You are right that she should be forgiven. I have no doubt that Sirius will work with us on this."

Harry nodded as the group was dismissed to do homework or enjoy their evening with normal activities. Severus wasn't that hard of a task master when it came to overloading them on homework. Yes he made them do reports and such, but he assisted as much as he gave. Minerva, Filius, Pomona, and a few others were just as guilty about it as he was. They wanted the teens to learn, but not overload them with too much information all at once.

The days flew by. Hermione was brought back to the castle and was told what she needed to do to remain. She had no issues with giving a Vow to not harm Harry or the other Champions again. She also made a Vow to not be such a know it all. She volunteered to assist the residents of the Champion's Tower with research and tutelage as recompense for her former actions.

"I had time to really think about how petty I was being," she explained. "I knew I messed up and have been beating myself up over it since I was suspended. I made a mistake and I don't intend to make it again. My parents grounded me while I was at home and even when I return for the holidays and such, I will still be grounded, but I can live with that. I am VERY sorry for what I did and I SWEAR I will never try something like that again. I have no right to be jealous because someone is doing better than me. That just makes me a bad person and I don't like being a bad person. I will work hard to repay every knut I took as payment. I know that all of it was returned minus the interest, but I intend on paying it back."

"Welcome back to the light sister," said Harry grinning at her. "We can put you in the girl's dorm and Susan and Hannah can help you get caught up with your schoolwork. I have reams of notes on everything that the founders taught us since you left. You are going to be amazed at some of the things we learned."

"Don't forget that you lot have to go to Molly's trial tomorrow," said Narcissa. "Make sure that you all dress appropriately. Severus will still be going with you. As all of you behaved so impeccably the last time, I would like to go with you all and observe how you act during this trial. Draco can still sit for House Malfoy and the rest of you can sit in your allotted spots. Severus will still sit with you to act as defense in case of an attack on your person through magic or physical contact. You have all proven that you are efficient in handling the affairs of the voice."

"We do expect you all to act like the proper young men and women that we are guiding you to be," admonished Minerva. "Rude remarks and such will NOT be tolerated. I don't think I have anything to worry about, but I am one that will worry anyway. I hope that each of you learns just a little more about what is expected of you. Good luck and I will see you all when you return."

The next day they left to attend Molly's trial. When they got to the Ministry, they were once again surrounded by an escort for their safety. Due to being the heirs of the founders, it was against the law to print anything about Harry, Luna, or Susan without their express permission. That Draco was under the protection of the three heirs made it so that nothing could be printed about him either. Once in the courtroom, the teens and Severus quickly got set up in their box and waited for the rest of their peers. Neville was sitting in for Augusta for House Longbottom while she acted as proxy for House Ravenclaw. Severus was busy explaining a few things to him quietly while everyone else got settled.

"We are here today for the trial of Molly Weasley nee Prewett," intoned Augusta. "Aurors, please bring in the prisoner. As she is not here for dark purposes, we request that she not be bound to the chair at this time. However, if she begins to act in an unorthodox manner we will reconsider that option. However, she will answer our questions truthfully and we will get to the bottom of her involvement on the attempts on Lord Potter's safety as well as her involvement with Dumbledore. We don't have time for traitors or thieves."

Harry and his party watched with a dispassionate look on their faces as Molly was brought in. She was placed in the chair and everyone waited to see what she would do. When she just sat there and didn't do anything, Sirius cleared his throat and began the trial.

"We are here today to find out what your involvement is regarding the happenings surrounding Lord Potter," Sirius told her. "Behave yourself and we won't bind you to the chair. Start acting up, and we will not only bind you, but we will silence you until we get the information that we want. Do you understand what I'm telling you? We will NOT tolerate you yelling or making threats. You will behave in a mature fashion or you will suffer the consequences."

"I understand," she whispered. "Do what you have to do. It isn't like I care much anymore. Everything that was promised to us has been taken away and we will never see it. I don't care what you do to me so long as my children are looked after."

"Your youngest two will have to appear before us so that we can see just how far their actions have gotten them into trouble," stated Augusta. "Once we know just what they did and who they did it to, then we can make a better judgment from there regarding further punishment if needed. As for the rest of your children, they have done nothing wrong and will not be held accountable unless we find that they knew or participated in the schemes revolving around the harm of Lord Potter."

"So far we know that potions have been used on Hermione Granger," said Amelia. "We know that your youngest two children are involved. As it stands, you have been implicated in assisting in the endeavor to place Lord Potter under the influence of potions that would make him obedient to your youngest son and your daughter. Potions Master Severus Snape has informed us that the over usage of these potions could quite literally kill the victim if they are used too much or wrongly. What we want to know is what your involvement is in this diabolical plan was. What part did you play in aiding and abetting your children in trying to harm the Lord of an Ancient and Noble Family as well as the last heir and now Head of House of two founders of Hogwarts?"

"I provided them with the ingredients that they couldn't steal from Severus," admitted Molly. "Albus wanted us to make sure that we assisted him in keeping Harry under control. When Hermione mentioned an Obedience Potion, I jumped on the opportunity to fulfill his wishes. Once Harry was under our control, we could have easier access to his money and artifacts. If we succeeded, Albus stated that he would reward us with a part of Harry's vaults. He knew more than he let on about Harry's heritage."

"Have you at any time accessed my vaults without my knowledge or permission?" asked Harry. "It seems to me that an awful lot of people knew about my accounts and yet no one bothered to tell me about them until I decided to inquire about it personally. You owe me the truth. Did you access my vaults without my permission?"

"Yes," whispered Molly to the astonishment of the crowd. "When you reentered the magical world, we still had five children in school. When we agreed to work with Albus, he gave me a copy of your vault key. I made several withdrawals from your vaults. Albus said that it was part of our payment for working with him to keep you under control."

"What did you use the money for?" asked Harry as he pulled out statements from the bank and passed them to Sirius. "How many times did you take money from my vaults and what did you use it on?"

"I accessed your vaults five times," admitted Molly. "The money was used to send Percy, Fred, George, Ronald, and Ginny to school and get them as many new supplies as we could. I also used some of that money to help around our house a little."

"I have passed over the statements from my accounts," Harry explained to the panel. "In it, it shows that Mrs. Weasley did in fact make five withdrawals from my vaults. The total amount is roughly at about fifty thousand galleons. I honestly don't know how to proceed. If she is telling the truth and the money went to help the Weasley children through school I won't make a big deal of it. I have always said that I would help them. However, what makes me upset is that she took it rather than asked me for it. She also took it from vaults that I didn't know I owned at the time."

"It would seem that she has been listening to Dumbledore for some time," said Susan while Luna and Draco nodded in agreement. "She has pretty much been brainwashed to think that Harry is some kind of bad guy that needs to be kept under lock and key. What I don't understand is why they felt the need to listen to Dumbledore in the first place. I can understand that he WAS the leader of the light, but this is Harry Potter we are talking about. At fifteen months old, he stopped the Dark Lord. His actions since that time have more than proven that he isn't a dark wizard and never will be. He even saved Ginny from a basilisk and a portion of Voldemort's soul."

Luna leaned over and started whispering to Harry. He listened closely to her before nodding his head. They glanced over at Severus and he nodded his head in agreement as well. Harry sat there in thought for a few moments to think about what he wanted to do next. Sirius, Augusta, and Amelia all waited patiently as he organized his thoughts.

"It would seem that even though she was part of the idea, she really didn't do much," said Harry. "Now I'm not saying just let her go with a slap on the wrist. She was part of the plan to place me under people's control and she did buy and send the ingredients to her children. She also stole money from my account. It would seem to me that she did all of this due to what she was told by the supposed leader of the light. While she has admitted that she has played a role in this scheme, the theft part was for the benefit of her children. It isn't like she stole my money and went buy herself loads of jewelry and homes and such. I think she should be punished, but I don't think she should go to Azkaban."

"What if we make her do so many years of community service?" suggested Sirius. "That way, she can give back to the community while paying for her crimes. In most ways, I do agree with you on everything. I think she did most of what she did to assist her children. While we don't condone theft and substance abuse, she didn't go overboard with her actions. She has admitted her guilt and would have been sentenced to twenty years in prison. What if we just give her that many years of community service instead? On top of that, we need to know what you want to do about the actual money she stole."

"I'm not worried about the money," said Harry waving away the concern. "It did go to a good cause even if it was diabolical in the way it was handled. Fred and George are still like brothers to me. I'm not happy with Ron and Ginny, but until recently they were like family. I think giving her the community service would be more beneficial than her spending her time sitting in a prison cell when we have far more nefarious criminals out and about."

"Molly Weasley, for your role in the attempt to harm Lord Potter, we are sentencing you to twenty years of community service," said Augusta. "Lord Potter has graciously stated that the money need not be repaid, but you will make restitution somehow to him for the theft. While he is generous enough to allow the money to be wavered, you will need to do something to make amends for what you have done. If at any given time, you are not where you are supposed to be, you will find yourself in Azkaban. You ought to be REALLY thankful that Lord Potter is so generous and forgiving. If that had been anyone else, they would have declared Blood Feud on you and attempted to wipe out your entire family."

"An Auror will be by your home within the next forty eight hours to give you your schedule," stated Sirius. "You get NO second chances here. If you mess up in the slightest of ways, you will see prison garb and a two by nothing cell for the next twenty years."

"Thank you," said Molly. "Thank you, Lord Potter for being such a wonderful person. I will make amends to you somehow. I will never forget your leniency and generosity."

"Don't we need a caretaker now that you are our personal tutor?" Luna asked Severus. "If we haven't replaced you yet, then she can serve her time at Hogwarts as the caretaker. That way, she can do what she needs to do while still working within the community. That way, there are more eyes on her to make sure she is doing what she is supposed to be doing. She also still has two children at school for the rest of this year that she would probably enjoy seeing from time to time."

"That's a great idea," said Sirius as Severus nodded. "We will take it from here. How about you lot get back to Hogwarts and enjoy the rest of your day. We will keep you all abreast of the situation. Thank you so much for the insight and wisdom that you are possessing while sitting in your spots. You have our gratitude for it."

With that, Severus and the teens met up with the rest of their party and returned home. Harry paced around his room for a bit while pondering over the events. This trial was far easier than the one for Dumbledore as she did less wrong. What she did was bad enough, but Harry just couldn't send the woman to Azkaban for things like that.

"Oh well," he muttered to himself. "What's done is done. She will either sink or swim. Maybe once she realizes that all of this time she could have been doing things to make their lives easier so that she didn't need to resort to theft, she would have been better. I only hope that the trials for Ron and Ginny go just as smoothly."

AUTHOR'S NOTE – This is as good a place as any to stop. Thank you all for your patience as I write this story. Please keep in mind that while Narcissa's comment was totally unusual for her, she had a lot on her mind during that time slot. She was listening, but wasn't listening if that makes sense to you.


	8. The Toad that Lost Her Lily Pad

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 8 – The Toad that lost her Lily Pad**

Hermione started fitting in right away with the rest of the occupants of the Champion's Tower. She kept her word and made sure that she wasn't overbearing or annoying. She also made sure that she watched what she said around people in regards to what happened with the Weasleys and Dumbledore. She knew that even her small part in what transpired was enough to make her miserable. The rest of the group all loaned her their notes so that she could get caught up with them. Things were going smooth all around for those that lived in the tower. Now that Draco and Susan were engaged, the Slytherins pretty much backed off and left things well enough alone. Many of them didn't want to face Narcissa's wrath.

Hermione was delighted to hear that Harry and Luna were also engaged and took time to make sure to assist in helping Luna bypass her year mates. Hermione was in awe of the beauty of the engagement ring that was on Luna's finger and couldn't stop gushing over its sentimental value. She made it a point to protect Luna at all costs when they weren't in the tower. In time, Luna became like a little sister to Hermione. The Founders still kept coming in each night to train the students with bits of information. It was three days after Hermione's return that Godric called them together for a history class.

"We are going to give you some more history tonight," he informed them. "We have been working with you all on the practical side of things here and there in between your normal schoolwork. I must say that I'm impressed with Harry's ability to do wandless magic. He is getting stronger and better at it every day. Luna is a little behind, but she is also younger and her core isn't as defined as Harry's. She is where she needs to be though and is slightly ahead of others that are her age. She is making great headway in her seer abilities. This has impressed us greatly. Please keep in mind that until you reach your seventeenth year that your core is still growing and adapting."

"This means that while some of you are powerful in certain aspects that you will be even more powerful when your core fully stabilizes," explained Severus. "Take this for instance. Harry will more than likely be the most powerful wandless caster since Merlin and the founders. Hermione is exemplary in Transfiguration. When her core fully matures, she will more than likely be up there with Albus and Minerva in the ranks of masters of that field. For all his faults, Albus really excelled in Transfiguration and made many breakthroughs in the subject."

"We have been reviewing all of your scores on your subjects," said Rowena. "Before Godric gives you his lesson for the night, I want you all to look over the following chart so that you can see where you are in your year for your work. Keep in mind; this is for the entire school even if other names aren't on the list. Also remember that I said it is for your year group. I have a second sheet that will give the top ten in the whole school."

The group all looked at the sheet closely. Harry was surprised to see that in each of the subjects he was taking, he was either first or second in ranking. With him not taking Arithmancy or Ancient Runes as an actual class, he didn't have a place. Draco noticed that his spot ranged a bit depending on the subjects. He was skilled, but the amount of power, study habits, or dedication was a factor in many things. He was no slouch and was in the top nine or higher in each subject, but he was nowhere near Harry in skill level. Hermione was in the top three in all subjects except Wizarding Etiquette and that was due to her being muggleborn and not taking the class. Neville was pleased that he was in the top ten or better in each subject that he took. Herbology was his strongest point as he was top in his year in the subject with Harry a close second.

Susan and Hanna went next and were delighted that both were also in the top eight or better in all of the subjects that they took. With Susan being an heir of Helga's, she was working more each day on her abilities as a Seer. Harry was almost top as he was actually getting stronger visions than she was, but she was more of a natural at it. Daphne was delighted to know she beat Harry and Hermione for the top spot in Astrology. She was also delighted to see that she as in the top ten of all subjects. Blaise was not a slouch, but with people like Harry with his power, Hermione with her book smarts, and Draco with his upbringing, he wasn't as high as they were. He was still in the top ten and that was fine with him.

Luna, Fred, and George were all delighted to see that they were in the top four of their year mates or better in each subject they took. Luna was a true seer and had no problems being top in that subject of the dorm. Fred and George took potions seriously and were passing in the top three of their class.

"So when it all boils down to things, Harry is the top in the entire school," said Salazar quietly but with conviction. "We aren't telling you this to discourage the rest of you. He just has a natural affinity with getting the magic to work with him. He is also trying to outdo Hermione with the amount of time he spends with his nose in a book. Luna is second in the school and first of her year mates. Fred and George are second and third of their year and Fred is fifth in the school with George being sixth. Hermione is third in the school with Draco coming in at fourth. Susan is fifth with Hannah at seventh. The eighth spot goes to Blaise with Daphne at a close nine. Neville is at number ten. We have to work on his confidence levels. There is nothing wrong with his work, but he needs more confidence so that he can perform the spells better. Once he gets what he is doing, he's fine."

"We will ALL work to help him with that," promised Harry. "Neville is a great guy and deserves our vote of confidence. If we can get him to a level that he needs to be, we can see great things for him in his future. He has issues with confidence, but he has improved greatly since he started studying with us. I have no doubt that he will be a very powerful wizard when his core stabilizes."

"OK," said Godric getting their attention. "Now that you know where you stand, it's time to bring you up to scratch. We can help you improve, but it will be harder from here on out. Tonight as I said, we will give you more history. From there, we will start training you in the different subjects. My specialty is DADA, Rowena was brilliant in Charms, Helga was great in Transfiguration, and Salazar was obviously skilled in potions. We will get you all where you need to be. Thanks to some of the professors, we have already seen an improvement in your grades just since we took back over the castle."

"So what is our history lesson of the night?" asked Luna. "It seems very important to you and I'm very curious as to what's going on. I can actually feel the castle humming with anticipation. It's like she is taking a sigh of relief to finally have her tale told."

"Tonight's lesson will centers around Fawkes," answered Godric smiling at her. "I will tell you about his role here in the castle. Now we know that there is a trial in a couple of days regarding Dolores Umbridge, but this is as good a time as any to teach you why there has always been a phoenix in this castle. First thing that you need to understand is that while a phoenix lives for a very long time, they are not immortal. The do eventually die. They can live up to five thousand years or so. It's why there are so few of them in the world. Due to their long lives, they don't reproduce that often."

"When we started the school we all chose our familiars as our mascots for our houses," explained Salazar. "Rowena was skilled in working with birds. She has a unique talent with eagles. In fact, it was Rowena that started the owl post idea by instilling the owls with magic. In time, we just allowed our special affinities with magic to do their own thing."

"Helga was earthier in her affinity with animals," said Godric. "The smaller the warm blooded animal, the better she was with working on them. She was especially skilled at calming badgers down. We all know that badgers are den animals and they are skilled at taking care of their young. Like a badger, she was fierce when it came to protecting those of her house and her family. I myself preferred the more dangerous animals. While I'm not as bad as Hagrid, I did have a special connection with large predatory cats. The lion as one of the largest was an easy choice for me to make. I work better with them than any other cat."

"As we know, Salazar was skilled with all forms of serpents," said Rowena. "Dragons, lizards, basilisks, and snakes were easy for him to communicate with as he spoke the language. A snake being more independent was where his interest was out of all of them. We all know that dragons and basilisks are dangerous to be around. Lizards aren't all that able to do much. Snakes can defend themselves with little to no trouble and are severely intelligent."

"We all talked about what animal would represent us best to the outside world," said Godric bringing their attention back to him. "We couldn't use many magical animals as they tend to be leery of humans no matter how intelligent or lack of they are. We couldn't use a mundane animal either as many of the ones we worked with wouldn't work well with others. Therefore, we decided to attempt to work with a phoenix. When we found the egg that hatched to become Fawkes, we knew we found a creature that was intelligent, loyal, and able to defend not only us, but the castle and her inhabitants as well."

"Fawkes originally bonded with the castle," Said Salazar. "Being a sentient thing, she could feel the emotions around the school. Therefore, she and Fawkes worked together to assist us in defense of the school. Being such a light and pure creature, it helped us to keep the dark at bay while we were alive."

"Fawkes has NEVER bonded to a human before," said Rowena. "He has always worked with the Headmaster or Headmistress of the school to power the wards with purity and devotion. He didn't bond with us either. Over the last few weeks, we now know that he has bonded with Harry."

"Harry and a phoenix have many things in common," explained Helga as the students looked at both Harry and Fawkes. "They are pure of heart. They have an innocence about them that says they will NEVER consider following the path to the dark. They are loyal and easy to love. They also are as honest as you can find in a living soul. Therefore it isn't all that strange for Harry and Fawkes to be bonded together. Normally Fawkes would stay with the castle, but Harry is in need of him more than the castle is. Now that you are all freely acknowledging that she is alive, she will start getting her power levels to the right strength again."

"Don't be surprised if the wards of the castle allow you to feel things now," stated Rowena. "As you have our blood, you will be more aware of what is going on around the building. Harry having the blood of two will feel them more than Luna and Susan will. We will work with you nightly so that you can get a feel of what you are sensing and feeling. In fact, I'm rather surprised that you don't already feel them."

"We can work on adding other wards to this place," said Harry thoughtfully. "It's time to stop people like Pettigrew from coming onto the grounds and such in his animagus form. Either the ward set isn't working right, or Dumbledore ignored the fact that he was around. My guess is it may be a combination of both. If you take us to the warding chamber, we can see if any of them aren't lit and working right. If it isn't there at all, maybe we can add it. I'm sure with Hermione and Severus' help we can get the proper information to create certain wards we are missing."

"Neville," called Godric out of the blue. "I would like to ask you and the twins a personal question. You don't necessarily have to answer me if you don't wish to, but it is something that I am curious about."

By this time, the whole dorm stopped what they were doing and the spotlight was on the twins and Neville. All three young men blushed with the curiosity that was aimed at all of them. Hesitantly, they nodded to the founder of their house.

"I notice that while the others aren't having a hard time with certain spells, that the three of you seem sluggish in the way that you cast," he mentioned to them causing Severus to raise an eyebrow and Harry to nod in understanding at the line of questioning. "Are you using a wand that chose you or are you using a wand that previously belonged to someone else?'

"My wand belonged to my dad," answered Neville nervously. "My Gran said that if I used his wand that it would make his sacrifice not be in vain. I want to make him proud by using his wand. It isn't a wand that chose me though."

"Our wands belonged to mum's twin brothers that died in the first war with Voldemort," said Fred looking down in embarrassment. "There is so many of us in the household, we couldn't afford to get new wands for everyone. Our wands work well enough for us. We just couldn't afford new ones with the amount of money that dad made at the ministry."

"I thought as much," said Godric nodding at Severus who quietly left the room for a few moments. "While those wands would make great secondary wands, your magic levels are lower because they haven't chosen you. My suggestion is to have the Headmistress and the Minister take the lot of you to Diagon Alley and get new wands. I also suggest that you keep the wands that you currently have as a spare as they DO work for you even if it isn't as good as a chosen wand would be. Harry, you might want to make enquiries about the wands of your parents as well. Even with the two wands you already have, it doesn't hurt to be prepared."

"With permission from the Headmistress, we can maybe make an excursion into the alley Thursday after the trial of Umbridge," suggested Harry thoughtfully. "This way, I can talk to Griphook and see if the wands of my parents were recovered from the night of the attack. The story I was told was that my dad didn't have his wand on him. Therefore, if it wasn't destroyed, we can get it back. My mum had hers on her when she died as she was trying to protect me. That's the vision I used to get from Voldemort from time to time. Nothing in the vision said the wand was destroyed though."

"I suggest that you talk with your guardians on Thursday," said Minerva entering the room. "They need to know that you need wands that belong to you. I do wish that you had said something before now. However, we are just as guilty for not noticing. If you can't afford your own wand, then the school will buy one for you. All you need is permission from your parent or guardian to go to Diagon Alley."

"I'll buy a wand for Fred and George," said Harry shrugging. "They've been helping me out a lot lately and I want to return the favor. Besides, they are like brothers to me. Madam Longbottom will understand if we all talk with her. There is no way she can continue to make Neville use Uncle Frank's wand if it's not suitable as a primary. I'll help in any way that I can. It's time for her to start seeing him as Neville and not Uncle Frank. I'll send letters to Mr. Weasley and Gran Longbottom when we are done here for the night. Sirius will let us go and Luna will be with me."

"Thanks Harry," murmured the three boys. "We appreciate the help and gesture. You don't really have to though. I'm sure we can figure out something."

"Didn't you guys and girls pound it into my head not too long ago that we are a family now?" he asked and got a few nods from the people in the room. "Well, if that's the case, then think of this as your brother helping you. You guys call me stubborn, but you are just as stubborn as I am. We are all family. Family helps family. That's how it is. So bite that pride and stow it. I'm going to help my brothers get wands that belong to them instead of someone else."

"Take ten points Harry," said Minerva proudly. "He does have a point. You can't expect him to acknowledge that family helps family if you won't do it yourselves. You are all working together brilliantly and there is no need for any one of you to go without something. Your families have sent me letters congratulating the school on the new and improved outlooks and improvements in grades that you have all gotten since you all started working together."

"Each of you has improved in your weak spots," assured Severus. "Harry doesn't feel like he has to do everything alone all the time anymore. Hermione doesn't feel like she has to be the best all the time. She has actually improved her grades due to working with you rather than trying to outdo you all. Neville is showing more courage with each passing day. Fred and George are highly intelligent when they are creating something. At the rate they are going, they will be great entrepreneurs. Daphne and Blaise are more relaxed and open about their feelings and emotions. Draco doesn't hide behind a snarky and bad attitude anymore. Luna talks less about unknown and imaginable creatures due to not having to worry. Susan is more outspoken and not as shy. Even Hannah has improved by being able to blend in and see and hear what's going on around you all."

"Even you are smiling and having a great time in life," commented Harry with a raised eyebrow daring the man to contradict him. "You are easier to talk to. You make learning fun and easy to comprehend. You work with us on everyday common things that we are struggling with. You talk with us when you notice one of us down and give us a boost. You even helped me tame this rat's nest I call hair. This is what I'm talking about. We all work together. So what if you don't have money! The rest of us do and we can get you what you need. Neville, your grandmother is strict, but not once has she given me the impression that she wouldn't listen to you if you actually voiced your concern or problem to her. SHE LOVES YOU!"

"We should have been seeing this side of you the entire time," said Minerva. "Take another ten points for that. Face it folks, he is one hundred percent accurate in what he is saying. Everything will work out as it's supposed to. Now I need Harry, Susan, and Luna to come with me so that we can power the wards. I'll show you how it's done and what you need to do. The founders made it easy enough. I just have to work with you to show you where we are weak and need a boost."

With that, the quartet left the common room. The rest of the group all sat and did homework or studied. Those that didn't have either were reading or just lounging around. There was a great amount of love and respect in the Champion's Tower. Each person made sure that they played their part. The attacks on the Champions had diminished. There were still scornful words thrown every now and then, but no one was foolish enough to physically attack the group anymore. Minerva led the three heirs to the ward room. Upon entering, Harry could see what she meant when she said that some of them weren't in working order.

"All you have to do is just give a little of your magic to the runes and start the wards," she said. "We are still working on the ones that need to be updated or removed for safety purposes. I have already set a warning over the wards that were placed by Dumbledore that we aren't sure about. I'll call in the goblins and see what they have to say regarding them. However, the rest are all up to you. I'll let you look at each one and see what it does. It isn't that hard if you think about it. Just sit in the middle of the ward stones and let your magic feel them out. Once you are sure what they are, then just give a push to your magic and let it touch the stone. From there, the castle will give a boost to that particular protection."

Harry and the two girls sat in a circle in the middle of the ward stones. They linked hands and as a trio, they let their magic flow. Minerva conjured a chair and sat to watch. She already had Pepper Up Potions in her pocket to help the teens when they were done. She also had Dobby and Winky preparing a light meal for them as she knew they would be hungry. She watched as the green and burgundy of Harry's lineage test each stone. From there she watched the blue of Luna's lineage follow him. Bringing up the rear was Susan's yellow. Each stone was tested and if it looked like it was usable or needed it, they gave it a boost. She had never seen the colors of the founders before in powering up the wards. Then again, neither she nor Albus was a descendant of the four founders either.

As she was watching, she noticed that a few of the wards that Albus placed cracked and vanished. She saw a few that he had placed was powered up and left alone. She nodded her head at this. The trio was in tune with the wards and would know if they were good ones or not. Harry had no reason to trust Dumbledore, so it was confirmed through his actions that the wards must be good ones if he kept them. When it was done, they trio came back to themselves with a start. Minerva handed each a potion and helped them stand.

"We kept some of the wards that the old goat left," said Harry. "They were designed to stop certain dark creatures from entering the grounds. Dementors will no longer be able to get onto the grounds of Hogwarts. We also want to put up the anti-werewolf ward. We'll just have to get a special amulet made for Remus. Once he has it, we can activate that ward and not have to worry about getting attacked by people like Fenrir Greyback while here on the grounds. We activated the animagus revealing ward as well. As it stands now, you and Sirius are the only ones that we know of that are allowed onto the grounds. Once some of us become animagus, we can add us to the wards."

"We pretty much got rid of the wards that were designed to create dissention between the four houses," explained Luna. "There were also wards that would see to it that the staff was loyal to the Headmaster more than the students. We got rid of that one as well. There were a few that stopped people from entering certain areas of the castle. Once we get caught up on things, I want to check out those areas and see what the old fool was up to. We also activated the anti-dark object ward. That will help up stop things like Horcruxes and such from being able to enter the castle again."

"The three of you needs to go to your common room and eat the food that Dobby and Winky brought you," instructed Minerva. "Trust me when I say that it will help. I'm always famished when I finish powering up the wards. It may be different for you, but we aren't taking any chances. I suggest a bath and bed not long after. You will need to replenish the magic you spent. That's why I waited until so late in the evening."

With that, they headed back to their rooms. As per request, they ate, cleaned up, and then headed off to bed. Minerva explained to the founders what she witnessed and talked with Filius and Severus about the charm for Remus. Both men stated they would work on getting one made as quickly as possible so that Remus wouldn't have to worry when they activated the ward.

Thursday arrived and the members of the Champion's Tower were once again dressed in their best. Harry and company decided to switch from the colorful robes they wore the last time to basic black with their house crests and affiliations in gold or silver depending on their relationship with the others. Sometimes simple was better. Once again, after breakfast was done, they headed out to the Ministry with Severus, Tonks, and Moody covering them as guards. Once at the Ministry, they took their allotted places and waited for the rest of the panel to situate themselves.

Augusta took her spot as Chief Witch with Sirius and Amelia sitting on either side of her. She glanced over and saw that Harry was sitting in his spot as Head of House of his families. Neville was sitting with him, but slightly behind him due to not being an Ancient House or a Founder's House. Luna was sitting on Harry's right with Susan sitting on his left as heirs of the founders. Draco was sitting behind Susan as both Heir of the Malfoy line and engaged to Susan. She smiled at the teens and got one in return.

Sirius was sitting there watching Harry and his companions get situated. He had a huge grin on his face as he noticed that Harry was the ringleader of the group and made sure that each person of his section of the panel was comfortable before he sat. He was proud of the fact that even though he was sitting there, that he observed and made sure that Fred, George, Blaise, Daphne, Hermione, and Hannah were being protected by Tonks and Moody. The old Auror gave Harry a grin and a wave to acknowledge that they were fine. From there, Harry took his seat.

"We are here today for the trial of Dolores Jane Umbridge," called out Augusta. "Aurors, we will ask that you bring in the prisoner and make sure she is bound to the questioning chair. If necessary, we will need to place a Silencing Charm on her as we don't want her speaking unless she is spoken to. I will not have her making threats, a mockery, or any disparaging remarks in this court. She will answer the questions that we ask of her and she will do so in an appropriate manner."

Kingsley and Rufus personally escorted Dolores to the chair and ensured that she was bound. Kingsley also gave her a quiet warning that he would personally silence her with a harsh spell if she began to act disrespectfully. Even in her predicament, Dolores wasn't stupid enough to go against the Head Auror. He was able to back down many a witch and wizard with his expressions. Normally he was a happy man, but when upset, the best of the best tended to leave him well enough alone.

"We are here today to determine if the charges against the prisoner are legitimate," stated Augusta. "She is being accused of multiple crimes. The worst of them is her being accused of the attempted murder of two minors. We will begin by going through the offenses. The first is that she has been passing bills through that make it hard for those with "creature" blood to maintain their jobs or to even get jobs."

"We have read some of her bills that have gone through and we have determined that anything she submitted isn't worth keeping," stated a member from the panel. "She is very prejudiced against anyone that isn't an older pureblood family. Some of her bills and motions even mention the words filthy half breeds and mudbloods. This is unacceptable in our society. Not all people deserve to be disrespected as such. I happen to know that Remus Lupin and Rubeus Hagrid are good people despite their ancestry and condition. Not all werewolves are bad and not all giants or half giants are vicious."

"We have also eliminated many of the bills stopping muggleborn witches and wizards from getting jobs in the Ministry," stated Sirius speaking next. "We found plans in her office to have all muggleborn witches and wizards arrested for holding wands. In her notes, she claimed that they somehow stole the magic from others and they were to be arrested for this. We can NOT allow things like this to continue in our society. We need the new blood in order to survive. Even if we didn't, it's human nature to allow everyone to have the same rights."

"For your records, we made copies of our findings and they are sitting in the black folder in front of you," said Amelia waving her hand to the panel. "This is the first offense she has committed against the wizarding world. We are here to put a stop to her schemes and plots."

"Next we are going to try her for using the Dementors to attack the Head of an Ancient and Noble family and heir of two of the founders of Hogwarts," said Augusta. "Our records indicate that she sent two Dementors to Wisteria Lane to administer the Kiss to Lord Harry James Potter and to Mr. Dudley Dursley this summer. Had Lord Potter not used a Patronus Charm, both young men would be dead right about now. This constitutes premeditated homicide."

"We can also add muggle baiting to that charge," said Amelia delicately. "The act of wanting to harm a non-magical person is against our laws. The fact that Dudley Dursley wasn't supposed to be there isn't going to play a part in this case due to the fact that he is related to the Slytherin line. Cornelius and Dolores were determined to have Lord Potter defenseless against any magical attacks. Cornelius is already in custody for his part in all of the corruptions that occurred within the Ministry."

"Finally on this particular charge, we are going to add misappropriation of Ministerial resources as she didn't have permission to send the Dementors anywhere near Wisteria Lane. This is a serious breach of the secrecy of our world. Muggles other than Dudley Dursley could have been affected by these two creatures had Lord Potter not used his Patronus Charm to repel them. As it is, Arabella Figg saw them."

"During her stint as a pretend DADA professor, she was also torturing the students of Hogwarts using a Blood Quill," stated Augusta. "In the green folder, you will see photographs of the hands of SOME of the students that she had serve detention with her for misconceived acts of misconduct. Thanks to the evidence given by Lord Potter, we were able to actually find the Quills in her belongings."

"Our final charge against the defendant is that she was actually NOT teaching the students DADA," explained Augusta. "In the red folders are statements from the students of Hogwarts that claim all they were allowed to do was read from a text book on theory. If anyone questioned her methods or questioned the reason, they were punished for it. While theory is good, some of the students were OWL and NEWT students that needed more than theory. She specifically made sure that the professors that were actually any good at the job they taught were punished. In the blue folders, you have letters from the staff of Hogwarts about her trying to get spells, potions, and many other forms of magic banned from the Hogwarts curriculum. Had she succeeded, she would have caused the students currently in the castle to not have a proper magical education. This would ensure that a war with the Dark Lord would have been lost by the side of the Light rather quickly."

Many angry outbursts were given at this. A few were already furious with the toad woman for her abuse of authority and for the attempted murder of the wizarding icon, but this harmed more than just one person. What would have happened was not weighing pretty on the minds of most of the people in the courtroom. Throughout all of this, Harry watched Dolores with an expression of disgust on his face. She sat there and a small grin on her face as each charge was read. Luna, Susan, and Draco were also disgusted by her expression. Oddly enough it was Neville that raised his hand to speak.

"The panel recognizes Heir Longbottom," said an astonished Augusta. "What would you like to state?"

"If it pleases the court, I would like to ask that the prisoner NOT have a gleeful look on her face," he hissed angrily. "This is NOT a celebration of her deeds. These are some serious offenses that have occurred and she is acting like we are praising her for a job well done. Now I know that I'm only here in a learning capacity, but it seems that she needs to learn something as well. Her lesson needs to be that she is being punished for crimes against humanity. This ISN'T a party where she is the guest of honor and she needs to act like it. Her attitude is making me sick."

"I back that statement," said Harry before anyone could speak. "The group of us has been watching her and her expressions. Suffice to say, she needs to knock it off. I don't appreciate the fact that the attempt on my life is amusing to her. If she wants something to smile at or to make the court smile at, I can come down and beat on her with my fists and see how funny she thinks that is. From there, I'll beat on her a second time for causing me to lose my poise, decorum, and control of my anger. Someone needs to take her lily pad away. It's time for the toad to face the music."

"While many of us would love to see you beat on her, I'm afraid that we can't allow that," said Augusta fighting to control her laughter while Sirius, Amelia, and some of the members of the panel had already lost theirs. "It is however, beneficial to the prisoner to remove the pride and glee from her face before we forget that we aren't supposed to let someone beat on her."

By now Dolores was red with anger. Harry's speech made her look like a bumbling fool. It caused most of the room to outright laugh at her while those that didn't laugh were severely fighting it. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Her anger was only matched by that of Harry and Neville.

"You ungrateful half-blood FREAK," she hissed. "When I'm through with you, you will wish that you were never born. I will have you scrubbing my floors like a filthy house elf. I will make sure your meals consist of loo water and stale bread. You will be lucky to even be alive when I'm done with you."

"I CHALLENGE YOU!" yelled Harry standing, finally having enough. Neville and the rest were quick to follow in their anger. "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL OF HONOR AND BLOOD. IF YOU WIN, YOU GO FREE. IF I WIN, YOU STEP THROUGH THE VEIL TODAY! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU TO LAST ME A LIFETIME AND IT'S TIME THAT I GOT SOME REVENGE ON PEOPLE LIKE YOU, WHO HAVE HURT ME!"

By now Sirius, Amelia, and Augusta were standing. All were angry that Dolores spit forth those words. Their hands were tied as they couldn't stop her before things got completely out of control. The Head of House of an Ancient and Noble family was calling on a Blood Duel and they couldn't refute him. He was within his rights to do so.

"As Minister for Magic, I call forth the command of a Blood Duel," said Sirius solemnly. "Witnesses to this duel will be Chief Witch Augusta Longbottom, Senior Undersecretary Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE Rufus Scrimgeour, Head Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, Hogwarts representative Severus Snape, and me. The duel will take place in the Veil Room. Dolores Umbridge, do you accept the terms of the duel? If you do, you will abide by the rules set forth."

"Oh I agree," she hissed in glee. "I will own this boy. When I win, I want his vaults, titles, and him as a slave. He will bow before me like the spawn he is."

"If I win, you will walk into the Veil on your own steam," hissed Harry retaliating. "I will get your vaults, names, and property. This will end today."

"Everyone that is a witness will follow us to the Veil Room," said Augusta. "The rest of you will remain here until we return with a victor. A memory will be played so that you can verify the winner. The rules are simple. You will bow to your opponent and on the count of three you will be able to cast your spells. The Unforgivables are NOT allowed. Should one of you attempt it, you will forfeit the duel and you will automatically lose. Do you both agree to those terms?"

"I would never stoop so low as to use an Unforgiveable even on someone like this toad," said Harry glaring daggers at Dolores. "My skill lies in the fact that I don't have to worry about stooping so low to beat someone. My intelligence and skill will be enough to slap her down hard enough so that the flies won't want to come near her rotting corpse."

"Big words little boy," she hissed right back. "Do your worst as it will still be nowhere near what I'm going to do to you. Let's get this over with. I have other people that need to be knocked down a few pegs who grew large heads in my absence."

With that parting shot, the group headed to the Veil Room. Dolores was given her wand back and the stage was set. The spectators stayed out of the way and Sirius began to speak as the duel started. Augusta and Amelia looked on in concern. Severus was worried, but not for the same reason as the two women. He knew that Harry could hold his own against Dolores. He was worried that Harry would dirty his hands by killing the woman.

"Bow to your opponent," said Sirius holding his wand loosely in his hand in case of trouble. "On the count of three, you may begin."

Harry bowed to Dolores while never taking his eyes off his opponent. Dolores didn't bother to bow until Sirius hit her with a Stinging Hex and a glare. At the reminder that, if she didn't follow the rules that she would automatically lose, she bowed to Harry and took her stance. Sirius counted to three and let the two combatants begin. It wasn't long before there was a light show in the room.

As soon as Harry heard three, he immediately began to move. What the Wizengamot members didn't know was that the members of the Champion's Tower were learning the art of Dueling from Filius. Harry didn't stay in one spot for very long so that it would be harder for Dolores to hit him. Harry started using small spells to keep her busy while he led her to the false sense of security.

The two combatants fought for almost ten minutes before Dolores got impatient. She knew she would be breaking the rules of the duel, but she had, had enough. With a yell, she used the Imperious Spell on Harry. Before the others could do anything, she cast a shield around the two of them.

"You will walk to me Potter," she said. "When you get to me, you will lay your wand at my feet. When I give you the go ahead, you will then raise your wand and start aiming curses at the members of your little fan club. You will be my shield as I get out of this place. From there, I will be heading to Gringotts to get your vaults. Now walk over to me and lay your wand at me feet."

Harry kept an impassive face as he walked over to Dolores. He was busy internally grinning at the stupidity of the woman. She NEVER listened to anything anyone said. When he got to Dolores, he laid his wand at her feet and stood. She grinned at him in that horrible way. As she went to speak to him again, he balled up his fist and punched her in the mouth. She fell over in both pain and astonishment. Harry walked over to her and raised his fist and hit her again. His fists flew out as he repeatedly hit her over and over again.

"Don't you EVER listen?" he asked as he hit her again. "We told you that I was able to throw off that spell in my fourth year. I CAN'T be controlled like that. Did you REALLY think that I would be that easy to beat? My harshest spell cast at you was a stunner. Did you REALLY think that the founders didn't teach me anything? I have been learning how to be a dueler from Professor Flitwick. As you well know, he has won many championships in the circuit while you never even passed your OWL in DADA, Transfiguration, or Herbology. Now add in that Severus Snape is my tutor and you have one angry and skilled young Mage. That is NEVER a good combination when dealing with trash like you."

The shield was finally brought down and the spectators were watching as Harry continued to teach the witch a lesson. None of them had any intention of stopping Harry. They let him beat her like the dog she was. Severus smiled as he heard the passionate speech about the training that he received. Finally, Harry stopped beating on her. His adrenaline was finally gone and he wanted to rest. Dolores went for her wand and his only to have them summoned from her hand by Harry using both wandless and wordless magic. She sat there stunned as did Rufus and Kingsley. With a malicious grin on his face, he snapped her wand clean in two before pocketing his own.

"I believe that you have fully lost this duel all the way around," he hissed down in her face. "Now it's time for you to pay the price. As of this moment, your vaults, properties, and anything that you own is now mine. If it's pink, I will more than likely destroy it. All properties will be sold or given to people like Remus and other werewolves that are good and just."

"You will stand now Dolores Umbridge," said Sirius with his voice ringing with authority. "You agreed to the rules and consequences of the duel. You lost. You also attempted to use an Unforgivable Curse on your opponent. From there, you were going to use him to attack us and shield you. Your punishment is to be sent through the Veil. Now either you stand quietly to walk into the Veil on your own, or we will just toss you through. That's the only choices that we are giving you, as it matters little to us either way. You are a blemish to the wizarding world and it's time that we remove that blemish. My suggestion is for you to walk and do so quickly. We have other more important things to do with our time."

"You can't do this to me," she said stubbornly. "I'm a pureblood. He is nothing more than a half blood. I rank supreme over him. The laws state that purebloods have more rights than the rest. I can pull rank on him and beat him that way."

Sirius just sighed and signaled for the guards of the room to send her through the Veil. She looked horrified as they stepped on each side of her and grabbed her by the arms. She was still sprouting off nonsense about being better than Harry as they roughly shoved her through the Veil. Harry slumped to the ground in anguish at the loss of a life. Sirius, Amelia, and Augusta raced to his side.

"I didn't want her to die," whispered Harry softly. "She was evil and horrible, but I didn't want her to die. A healthy dose of Azkaban and maybe some time in the goblin mines would have been what I asked for. I hate her, but not enough for her to die."

"It was agreed upon by both parties," said Sirius. "Don't let your good nature stop you from upholding the laws. Had she not gone through the Veil, her magic would have killed her anyway. This way, she went through and died quickly rather than in agony. I'm not saying that you can't grieve, but she would have killed you if she could. This way, she is gone and that's one less evil person in the world that we have to worry about. You did nothing more than what the magic and laws allowed. You are still a good and innocent person."

"Please Harry," said Amelia. "We need you to be strong now. Nothing could be done to prevent this. She was the type of person that would have tried to make sure that life was as difficult for everyone as she could. With her being gone, people like Remus and Hagrid have a better chance now that we are cleaning up some of the laws that were passed through with regards to them. We can make things better. Luna needs you to be strong. It's ok to grieve, but I think you would be better turning that grief into something useful."

Harry shuddered as he got his emotions under control. He knew he needed to be strong. He knew they were right. He also knew that things would have been as they said. Still to him, every life was special even if that person was Dolores Umbridge. For all of his faults and law breaking ways, Albus would have been sentenced to a far worse fate than he had now. Thanks to Harry, he at least got to eat when he was behaving and got to do something other than stare at four walls.

Sirius and Augusta stayed by his side as he regained his composure and with the rest surrounding him as a sort of honor guard, he let them lead him back to the courtroom. When he got there, he was met with a mass of blond hair. Luna raced to him and threw herself in his arms crying softly. Looking over her head as he held her, he nodded to Amelia and Sirius and then led his future wife back to their chairs. Meanwhile, Augusta was already playing the memory for the court to witness. When it finished playing, they automatically awarded Harry the winner with all possessions owned by Dolores given to him by the Right of Conquest Act.

When the meeting adjourned, Harry and the students left with Severus and company to go to Diagon Alley. They first stopped at Ollivander's so that Neville, Fred, and George could get a new wand. Harry bought each person a wand holster. Augusta bought spare holsters for those that would be holding more than one wand.

From there, the group made it to Gringotts where Harry talked with the goblins about the wands of his parents.

"We have your father's wand," said Griphook sending a runner to Harry's vault to retrieve it. "Your mother's wand was destroyed when the roof fell on the two of you. There was no way to repair it. As your father's wand wasn't on him when he died, it was salvageable. Also he was on the ground floor and the part of the house he was in survived the attack that night."

The runner quickly returned and Harry reverently took his father's wand into his hand. He could feel the connection, but like the rest, it wasn't as powerful as the wands he already had. With a wand on each forearm and now one on his calf, he was prepared for any fight he entered. With a sigh, the group headed back to the safety and comforts of the castle.

Later that evening, Severus and Harry talked for close to an hour about what happened in the Veil Room. The young man cried and worked through his pain. Severus patiently sat with him and let him vent his emotions. By the next morning, Harry was right as rain again.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – This is as good a place as any to stop. Thanks for reading. This story is already breaking many of my personal goals. Many of you are enjoying the richness of the detail. Thanks for reading.


	9. Dead Man Walking

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 9 – Dead Man Walking**

Things always happen for a reason. The lessons from the founders were both informative and interesting. Each person in the Champion's Tower treasured each lesson. Severus also learned much from the founders. He learned patience, humility, and forgiveness. When people looked to the members of this group, they saw a huge family of people that cared deeply for one another. Each person made sure that everyone else in the group had what the needed to ensure their learning and emotions were cared for to the fullest of capacity. This suited the group very well for all intents and purposes.

The trials of Ron and Ginny had been pushed back due to the importance of other trials that needed to be done. Sometimes Harry and company were asked to sit for learning purposes, and sometimes they weren't. Each member of the Wizengamot knew that Harry and company needed to spend as much time as possible in classes so that they could continue to learn what they needed to learn to be able to pass their OWLS then NEWTS. It was agreed by every member that Harry and his friends were learning rapidly what they were supposed to for when they would take their positions full time. None of the members had anything negative to say about the attitudes and actions of the youngsters. Each one in that particular group was both polite and intellectually sound.

Soon the Christmas holidays were upon the group. The castle was currently undergoing the festive decorating that it usually did. The Great Hall was once more decked out in festive garland. The trees stood out in spectacular color in the different corners. Harry was watching the set up when he had a sudden inspiration. He quickly drew the attention of the others.

"Why don't we make them different colors," suggested Harry as they were decorating the trees. "We can have one specifically for each of the different houses. I think blue and bronze for Ravenclaw would be pretty on a tree. I'm sure we can illuminate the ornaments so that even the green ones for the Slytherin tree would show nicely on the branches."

"That's a brilliant idea," stated Filius with happiness as he began to work on them. "Each one can be set up for each of the houses and we can have one for all four houses together. That way, we can unite the houses once and for all so that there is little to no rivalries."

"I'm going to decorate the sixth tree personally," stated Harry adamantly. "I know exactly what I want to do. I think it will be pretty. I want it to be a nature tree to represent the elements. I've been thinking about it since you all started to decorate the trees."

"Ok," said Severus with interest. "How do you want to do that? I'll help you in case some of the charms are some that you haven't learned yet. All you need to do is tell us what you have in mind and we will help you create your work of art."

"First, the tree needs to be white," said Harry flicking his wand and casting the color changing charm. "It will represent the innocence and creation of things. Next, we need some poinsettia flowers to represent the fire aspect. I always think of red for fire. I think it would be pretty."

"Oh that does sounds beautiful," said Hermione as Neville brought the plants over from around the hall. "We should use the whole plant instead of just the flower though. That way we can save the plant and do other things with it after the holidays."

Severus cast the charm on the flowers to keep them alive throughout the holidays. The team placed each of the flowers in their spot and waited for the next idea from Harry. So far, his tree was starting to look ideal. So far, everyone was on board with his idea. Even Filius and Minerva stopped to watch as the form took shape. Each was impressed so far.

"Next I think we should have ivy for the tinsel," explained Harry while picturing the look in his mind. "The green of the ivy can represent the earth. If Severus casts that spell again, the ivy will stay alive and we can always plant it and let it grow naturally once the holidays are over. The idea that Hermione had to use the whole poinsettia plant instead of the flowers was a good one. The ivy can continue to grow in the tree if possible."

Severus nodded as he cast the spells on the tree and ivy. The teens all helped out by flicking their wands and watching as all of the greenery draped elegantly on the limbs of the now white spruce tree. When they were done, they turned to Harry once more for the next set of directions. More and more, the tree was turning out spectacular. More of the professors stopped what they were doing to observe the creation that was coming to life.

"The last part is easy," he assured. "We can use blue lights to represent water and yellow decorations to represent Air. Then we can add something purple to represent Spirit. I was reading some extra stuff and discovered that while most people only think there are four elements, in all actuality, there are five of them. Many people don't count spirit. In some religions, they change them. There is a reason the pentacle has five points. So we can add both purple and yellow ornaments for the last two elements."

"We can have yellow flying creatures to represent the air," suggested Draco. "Things like hippogriffs and thestrals are flying creatures. We can slightly alter the color for them to be in different shades of yellow. Things like canaries and other birds can be used as well. For purple, just use orbs. Plain orbs won't take away from the elegance of the yellow pieces and the spirit aspect of the elements will still be represented."

"We can always use purple stars as well to make the aspect of it being an old way," suggested Luna. "To me, when I see stars, I think of the heavens and what they represent to each of us."

"Let's take it a step further," suggested Susan. "We can add golden suns and silver moons to represent the deities. I too, have read about the old ways, and they are brilliant in some aspects. If we are going to represent the old ways, then let's do it all the way."

With that, the teens and Severus got to work. The other professors and the founders all waited eagerly to see the finished product. None of them were disappointed. The tree was beautiful and very artistically arranged. Minerva had Colin Creevey come in and take pictures of the different trees so that people in the future could see what the Great Hall looked like this year.

"I think a well-rounded twenty points to each house is deserved for this marvelous creation of art and history," said Minerva as she examined some of the ornaments used. "This is absolutely beautiful and very well planned. Harry can take an extra ten points for the original idea. He can also have ten points for the idea to have a house tree. Each of the trees is beautiful. I love the idea and I think we will use it from here on out. Good job to all of you."

"There was something that Fleur said when she was here for the tournament," stated Harry. "Why don't we have non melting ice sculptures here as well? We can use the four animals that represent the houses in our designs. We can use things like a phoenix, unicorn, and certain other creatures as well. If you give them a slight hue, they will look awesome."

"The exuberance of youth," laughed Minerva as she and Filius gave the idea a try. They created the lion for Gryffindor and gave it the slight hue as Harry suggested, so they could see the finished product before they started on the others. When they were done, they started on the others as the first one came out wonderfully.

"Take ten more points Harry," said Filius. "This was an ingenious idea. Even if you didn't have the original one, the idea to use a color hue on the sculptures was pure genius. I think we can use these all winter long. There is no reason for us not to."

"In summer, we can always use stone ones," suggested Luna getting ten points for the suggestion. "I figure that the school doesn't have that many mascot representations. By adding some, it will give the houses more pride in their given house. By adding the magical creatures, it tells that this really is a magical school."

Everyone nodded as they went their separate ways in the castle. With many of the students going home the following day, they had a few things that they needed to do beforehand. There was the holiday leaving feast that everyone was looking forward to. Later that night, Rowena gathered the students together.

"Tonight, I'm going to teach you a bit more about the history surrounding Hogwarts," she said. "We have many things that we have done here in the castle, but some of them are unique due to the special gifts that we possessed back then. As you all know, I prized wisdom and knowledge beyond everything when it came to my students. While Harry does in fact possess extreme knowledge, he was chosen to go into one of the houses of his bloodline as was set by us founders. Though it isn't set in stone, we prefer those of our bloodlines to go into our houses. Harry was unique in that he has equal quality of all four. He would have been an exception to the desire."

"The hat did say that I would fit into all four houses," admitted Harry. "He said that I was VERY difficult to place. Things might have gone differently without all of the negative feedback that I was given before I even got to Hogwarts. Never having learned the differences, I was already prejudiced before I even got here. While that isn't a great excuse, it is the one that I give as it's the truth. Hagrid, Ron, and Draco all had hand in me not liking Slytherin before I even got to Hogwarts."

"As you all know, I made a diadem to enhance the wisdom of the wearer," explained Rowena smiling at Harry's honesty. "It wasn't so much for me as it was for those that were in the same situation as Neville. Now before he gets offended, let me explain what I mean."

Neville had started slightly at being signaled out, but relaxed at Rowena's placating tone. He knew she wasn't slighting his intelligence. She was just making a statement about the purpose of one of the most legendary pieces of history in existence. He also knew that from time to time, they would use one person or the other as an example to explain what they were referring to.

"Some people have intelligence that they don't know even exists," explained Rowena. "They can do things, but lack confidence to use what they know or in some cases, they lock it away due to not believing in themselves. I created the diadem to assist those people in learning how to unlock their talents so that they could be the best that they could. The diadem doesn't necessarily GIVE you wisdom. It just enhances the ability to use what you already know. Wearing it won't make you better in charms if you are abysmal in the subject. All the diadem does is make it so what you do know is better organized in your mind so that you can use it more efficiently."

"That would explain much," stated Draco. "You can't just give someone wisdom. Wisdom is what and how you use your knowledge base for. To enhance your knowledge and how you use it would be better than having the diadem whispering the spells in your mind. That would be cheating as compared to using what you already know in a more beneficial manner. This was great. I enjoy all of these lessons that you are all giving us. The more you tell us, the more we know about how the magical world is supposed to work. It makes things today seem so backward and stupid in some aspects."

"It seems like times have changed for the worse since the four of you died," agreed Luna thoughtfully. "It would appear that the ideals and ideas that were set up by you were made to be archaic. Now it doesn't matter how intelligent you are. It's all about who you are related to and how much money you have in your vaults that matter."

"To hear Binns talk, the only thing in history that matters is the Goblins and sometimes the giants," said Harry with a frown on his face. "What you are teaching us not only gives us actual facts, but it gives us a new outlook on how the magical world SHOULD be run. Let's face it, what Luna said is true. Most people think that they are better than others because of what they have and who they know rather than WHAT they know. Some of us are exceptions to the rule. I have a long line of witches and wizards in my family and I also have more gold than my great grandchildren will ever be able to spend, but I don't treat people like they are beneath me."

"It would seem that some people have a higher standard in their moral compass than others," said a thoughtful Hermione. "I'm at fault just as much as some of the purebloods. My line of thinking was that I was better than most because of how many books I could read and how much information I could retain. Sometimes you have to just balance things out in this world for it to all come together and make sense. I was bullied before I came here due to my love for books and my passion for learning. Once I got here, I became the bully using the same tools. Sometimes people walk on a fine line and don't even realize it until they do something extremely stupid."

"You made a mistake in trusting the wrong people," said Severus pointing a warning finger at her. "You had the thoughts going through your mind, BUT you were still used. I have been watching you since you got here. You are only human like the next person. Look at Draco! In the last few months, he too has made a complete change. Not only doesn't he walk around like an arrogant snob, but he has become a better person to himself as well. Even Harry has opened his eyes to certain things and walks around with pride and a sense of self-worth. Each of you has improved within your actions to others as well as how you look at yourself. I have opened my eyes and am enjoying life."

"All it took was four dead people to start slapping others behind their heads to wake them up," snickered Harry with mirth. "Now that we have the equivalent of a two by four behind the head, we are helping to make the wizarding world a better place for everyone. I don't play the hero all the time. Hermione isn't acting like an arrogant know-it-all anymore. Draco isn't a snob anymore. Neville and Susan are more confident with their magic and knowledge. Luna is the least changed among us, but even she is happier than she was before all of this started."

"It is nice to see the houses starting to come around and work together," said Minerva from her spot. "Even at my age, I enjoy learning what the founders are teaching. This is just as much a new experience for me as it is for you. The school is becoming more like what is should be. I find that the students are getting into fights less and less these days as they are starting to work together to make sure that everyone has the chance they need to succeed in classes and such."

"With people like Dumbledore out of the way, we don't have to worry about how he is manipulating everyone," agreed Harry. "The more we work together, the better our world will become when we graduate. We are already seeing an improvement in the younger years. This will go a long way in helping our world outside of this castle. In the days of the founders, magic was feared. Today, acceptance is better. You have neo-pagans and wiccans out and about that are passing the word even if they don't have the actual gift of magic themselves. With many muggle born students coming to Hogwarts, we have more non-magical people understanding what's going on."

"I have to ask," said Neville suddenly looking at Hermione. "What happened after you got home? We know you were suspended for a few weeks, but we don't fully understand what happened to you. Would you be willing to explain it all to us? I don't want to pry, but that was something that wasn't really explained when you returned earlier than you were supposed to."

"Well," she said hesitantly. "Suffice to say that my parents were severely disappointed in me. I can't say that I blame them. I was under total house arrest. They made me do lots of chores around the house to insure that I knew that I had made a huge mistake. What made it worse was the disappointment in their eyes when they looked at me. That hurt more than the punishment or suspension. They made me realize just how often they comforted me when the same thing happened to me that I did to others."

"I was jealous of Harry," she said after pausing for a bit. "I knew he was getting help from somewhere and I didn't understand where or why. I was in the mindset that I was the smart one and he needed me. I keep forgetting that even though I memorize my stuff that Harry does know what he is doing as he actually lives it. I allowed the implied remarks from the Weasleys influence my jealousy even more. I was determined to be the top student and I couldn't understand how someone who didn't appear to care was suddenly better than I was. All I wanted was to scream in frustration. All I knew was that I wanted to beat Harry at all costs even if it hurt him in the process. I made me into the type of person that I would never be normally."

"How did you come to the conclusion that you had potions in your system?" asked Severus. "I have to admit that it sounded like you were just trying to keep yourself out of trouble and wasn't really all that sorry you did what you did. The explanation you gave sounded like the idea that Harry was supposed to be dosed would make a great scapegoat if it was possible that you were dosed as well."

"I started to evaluate my thoughts more," she admitted truthfully. "I knew somewhere in my mind that even though I wanted to be the best that it wasn't fair of me to want to harm others for also having the same dedication and desire. I couldn't figure out why I was getting mad all the time for no reason when I heard that others were doing better than me on a certain day and such. From there, I went into research mode and started to look into maybe being possessed. I actually did get the idea from Harry. He seems to be attacked by the Dark Lord all the time and I wondered if it was possible that I was under some kind of influence as well. When I heard that Ginny was going to slip a potion to Harry, it was like a light lit in my head. It made me wonder if I was under the influence already. I actually didn't know and wanted to be sure that someone wasn't messing with my fragile ego already. So when it came out that they were trying to get to Harry via potion, I asked to be checked out just to be sure. I wasn't willing to take the chance that someone was forcing me to act on my irrational thoughts."

"It's a good thing that you did," said Helga. "Had those potions stayed in your system for a longer period of time, they could have done irreparable damage to you and your system. You could have gone insane or even died. Severus and I went over some of the potion notes we found in the harlot's belongings and they modified the Compulsion Potion. Salazar admitted that the potion was starting to become a poison in your system. Had they continued to give it to you, it WOULD have killed you. They didn't know that."

"They talked briefly about just getting you to try and harm Harry," stated Severus while Salazar nodded. "They even mentioned some common side effects in their notes with notations to be careful with dose percentages and such so as to not harm you. That makes us believe that they never had any intention of killing you. They did their research, but apparently not enough. It didn't look like they were as thorough as they thought they were. It was never THEIR intention to kill anyone. They wanted to harm, but not kill. The idea was to get you to do things for them so that when the pieces all came together you would take the fall and not them. Thankfully, you were intelligent enough to realize that something wasn't quite right and you acted on impulse to rectify a situation."

"That's something that might save them from getting a more serious punishment than they are already getting," remarked Harry pondering the information he was hearing. "They are in enough trouble as it is for what they have already done. I may not like them for what they did, but I don't wish them into severe trouble. I have no doubt that Molly and Dumbledore was responsible for some of their thought processes. Those two are easily manipulated. It seems that Ron was taught to embrace his jealousy and Ginny was taught to live in her fairy tale world. I think that a good dose of humility and punishment will help. Even someone like them doesn't deserve to have to face a Dementor. I can tell you that the sensation isn't pleasant."

"I agree with Harry," said Susan. "They did bad things, but they are still young. Between what they were taught, their ages, and things like hormones and such, they were easy to manipulate. Dumbledore was able to do it too far older and far wiser people than the two youngest of the Weasley bunch. I agree that prison time shouldn't be given, but some form of severe punishment and lots of counseling would go a long way in helping them to understand that they don't get to have things handed to them just because of whom they are and who they support. Harry lost his parents to get his money and titles. He would rather have his parents than all of that."

"I think we have a problem," said Harry suddenly standing. "The wards of the school are going a bit crazy. Someone is here, on the premises, that shouldn't be. We need to get the students to safety. I think we are under attack. I could be wrong, but why take the chance. I would rather be wrong and have the students safe from harm, than to be right and we not do anything."

Minerva and Severus jumped up at once and everyone started to move out. They were not getting the feeling through the wards that Harry, Luna, and Susan were feeling. Harry and his group would assist the Headmistress and the professors with rounding up the students. Minerva placed her wand to her throat to amplify her voice.

"All students are to immediately report to their common rooms," she called. "Heads of house are to do an immediate head count and send an elf with the tally. All prefects are to assist your head of house in defense of the younger students."

"All house elves are to assist in locating and bringing all stray students to their common rooms," called Harry duplicating Minerva's spell. "The students must be protected. Hogwarts is now under lockdown conditions. Any student causing problems for their head of house will automatically receive one month of detention."

"Good thinking Harry," called Severus as he jogged with the younger wizard to the Entrance Hall. "The elves can locate the students faster than we can and get them safely to their common rooms. All members of the Champions Tower are to assist the professors in any way that you can. Time is of the essence and we need to find out who is attacking and why."

"Harry, as you have better control of the wards than we do, look through and see what's going on outside of the walls," said Salazar as he floated alongside the wizard. "You, Luna, and Susan can use the wards to see with better than Minerva and Filius can. Godric and Rowena are already on the parapets trying to discern what the problem is. Helga is heading to the infirmary to wait with Poppy. I'll be staying with you. Right now, you need to pause and SEE through the wards other than through your eyes."

"Werewolves," said Luna with her eyes white and glowing. "We are being attacked by werewolves. They must have come from the forest. We didn't think to have anyone alert the creatures of the forest that we may end up being under some kind of attack. I think that Hagrid is still outside. I can't tell if he will be affected or not."

"He won't unless there is a powerful wizard with them," assured Draco quickly. "His giant blood makes him immune to lycanthropy. Even if he is bitten, he will never have to worry about turning into a werewolf. Harry, send him a patronus to stay IN his house. Even a half giant will fall prey to fifty werewolves attacking him."

"I'm already on that Draco," said Minerva waving her wand and sending off her patronus. "If he knows what's good for him, he will listen to me and stay inside."

"I'm already in the castle," huffed Hagrid coming around the corner. "Thank you for your concern, but I was already heading inside the castle. We need to get word to Aragog and the centaurs to help. If there are werewolves, then they aren't normal ones."

"That's right," exclaimed Harry in a worried voice with glowing green eyes as he looked through the wards. "It isn't the full moon. Remus is a werewolf and he's fine and in Gryffindor Tower. Hermione, go and tell him what's going on. Severus you need to contact Sirius and let him know what's going on. I know you have an easier way to talk to him as you are head of our tower and he is my godfather. Minerva, send a message to Aberforth and Rosmerta that Hogsmeade should stay indoors. We don't want them hurt."

"Why are Harry and Luna's eyes glowing like that?" asked Neville pointing. "Susan is using the wards and her eyes aren't glowing. Why are their eyes behaving like that? Why would they be different? She is a founder's heir as well."

"I believe they are using their Seer abilities combined with the wards," explained Draco before anyone else. "True Seers usually have a kind of light in their eyes when they are using their true abilities. From what I read, glowing eyes is just one way of telling. Add in that both are descendants of the founders, and that is a conclusion I will bet on. It isn't common knowledge, but all four founders had the gift of divination in their blood. Helga is the one that was the most comfortable with it, but in all actuality, all four were seers."

"That is correct Draco," said Salazar as the members of the party got things organized. "Harry being the heir of two will have more ability than say Susan as the gift doesn't always pass down. Luna has Seer blood from her other parent as well. Therefore, it was always our belief that she would be a seer. Harry had double the chance of becoming a mild seer due to his lineage. However, it would appear that he will be just as gifted as Luna. Even Sybil had the tiniest bit of the gift. Susan may end up with the gift, but it looks like it will pass her. Not all of our descendants had the gift."

"Sirius is here," said Harry suddenly stopping all conversations. "He has brought twenty Aurors with him. We need help in stopping the wolves. We need all available fighters to start rounding up the wolves. Some of them aren't magical ones. They are muggles that were bitten, but not magical."

"There is a sense of magic around them, but it's only to make them transform," said Luna looking with unblinking eyes. "Fifty wolves will cause problems. We need some more help. House elves and goblins would be preferable. Someone send an elf to Gringotts. The goblins can come here quickly and help stop this situation. I'm still searching for the leader of this attack. So far, I don't see any non-werewolf fighter out there."

"Dobby!" called Draco and waited while the elf popped in. "I know that Harry is your Master, but he is otherwise occupied at the moment. Would you go to Gringotts and tell Griphook that Hogwarts is under attack by werewolves? From there, have the elves start using their magic to help defend the castle from the wolves. If we can keep them outside, they won't harm the students. Would you do that for me?"

"Of course," said Dobby before popping away. It wasn't long before he was back and placing the Sword of Gryffindor in Harry's hand. "Griphook be sending one hundred goblin warriors to Hogwarts. He be calling this a training exercise for the younger goblins. Kreacher, Winky, and Dobby be telling all elves to protect the castle."

"Are all the students accounted for?" asked Minerva as she looked out of the window. "We need to make sure that all students are in their common rooms or dorms. Even one werewolf inside of the castle can cause problems. We don't want any of the students bitten."

"Not to worry Headmistress Kitty," assured Dobby. "We is making sure all students is being in their rooms. We is even sealing the doors with magic so they is not coming out until Master Harry be saying it is safe."

"Thank you Dobby," said Sirius as he walked over to the group. "Severus, is everyone ok here? I have my Aurors working to stop the attack if they can. There are a few Hit Wizards and three members of the Unspeakables out there as well. We want to see if we can capture one of the wolves so that we can help you test the blood for a permanent cure."

"Everyone IN the castle is safe," assured Severus as Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. "Harry and Luna are using their gifts to watch out for any problems. Hermione ran to Remus to check on him. We have the elves watching out for the children and we have one hundred goblin warriors in route to the castle."

"The goblins are here," said Harry in his mystical voice. "The battle is commencing. While these goblins are not as battle hardened as the older ones, they are still effective. Things are going well with the aid of the Aurors. I don't see any human loss of life."

"One will be bitten," said Luna in the same type of voice as Harry. "He will fall and become a werewolf though he will not die. Someone needs to tell Poppy and Helga that there is a patient heading their way. Send an elf to grab the fallen Auror. I don't see if he will be passive like Remus or aggressive. Time will tell."

"There he is," said Minerva pointing and then sending a spell from her wand to blast the wolf. "Dawlish just fell due to separating from his group. Moody will have his hide for that. Dobby would you and Tipsy go and grab him and bring him straight to Poppy please? I'll have someone come there shortly."

"The tunnel," hissed Harry sharply. "One lone wolf has made it through Honey Dukes and is exiting the tunnels. I have had enough of this. It's time to put a stop to him and his pack of mutts."

With that, Harry raced away from the group. Severus, Draco, and Sirius gave chase. Dobby popped out to get the fallen Auror and brought him to the infirmary. Helga and Poppy started working immediately to get some of his wounds closed. From there, Dobby felt Harry running and popped away to join his master.

Harry arrived just at Fenrir stepped out of the tunnel. His training in DADA with Godric and Severus came into effect as he started firing hexes at the wolf. Fenrir danced on the spot for a few moments before Harry paused. He watched the werewolf wearily. This was the most dangerous werewolf currently alive.

"You can't beat me little boy," snarled the wolf. "The Dark Lord has added a little extra to my abilities this month. He wants some of your blood. Eventually he wants you dead, but for tonight, I'm allowed to have a snack. He wants you bitten so that you become an outcast. We all know that werewolves are dark creatures. If you won't join him, he will see to it that you become just as hunted as he is. He will also want that pretty sword in your hand. It will be a bonus in my pay packet if I get it and bring it to him."

Harry flung the sword behind him and did something that totally floored the trio that caught up to him. He also caught Fenrir by surprise. Harry's anger unlocked a new power and within moments, there was an angry panther standing in front of the half formed wolf. Black shadows surrounded Harry for a moment before he stalked forward to challenge the wolf head to head. Fury was evident in the way he walked towards his enemy.

"In his animagus form, he can't be harmed by a bite," said Sirius as he transformed into the Grim to stand with his godson.

"Draco run now," hissed Severus. "There is no way you can fight Fenrir if he gets by both Harry and Sirius. This is one werewolf that even I would be hard pressed to stop. I will NOT have you harmed. Go and get some help. If Harry and Sirius fail, we will need all the help I can get."

Draco took one last look at the large dog, angry panther, and upset mentor before he turned and ran. He raced back to where Minerva was standing and noticed that they were waiting for an explanation.

"Sirius and Harry are in animagus forms and are attacking Fenrir Greyback," he told them. "Severus said he was going to be the next line of defense should they lose. He said to get help. We need someone to get to them. I don't know who we can get there as many of the professors are protecting the students."

"I can use the secret passages and get to Professor Flitwick," said George. "He can come and help Severus and the others stop him from getting further into the school. Even a deranged werewolf won't be a big problem for a half goblin dueling master."

"Do it," said Minerva. "Make sure you exit just outside the common room as we don't want the other students to know about the passages. Use the password of Ravenclaw to get in. Come right back here when you are done. We want all of you from the Tower to be safe and under our personal care. Tell whatever other professor is with the students that I authorized this."

George nodded as he and Fred entered the passages from where they were standing. Minerva knew that Fred would never let his twin go alone, and didn't even bother to give the issue a thought. Luna would be able to tell where the students were using her gift and Susan would be able to tell where they were using the wards. Right now, Susan was watching outside and Luna was keeping an eye on Harry.

"It looks like Harry has finally had enough," said Luna while she watched. "His is literally ripping strips of flesh off of the wolf. He is a magical animagus. He is unique once more. He won't be happy about that when he learns of it."

"What type of animal is he?" asked Minerva. "We can always work with him as he grows more into his powers. We don't want him to feel isolated. Being a magical animagus isn't common, but it isn't unheard of either."

"Harry changed into a panther when I saw him," said Draco. "I didn't know that they were magical animals. I just thought they were large black cats."

"He only looks like a panther," said Luna watching Harry tear more flesh off of Fenrir. "In all reality, he is a Shadow Cat. They are the spitting image of a panther with the exception that he is larger than the normal predatory cat. He will be able to walk the shadows in his animagus form and appear anywhere he wants much like a phoenix flashes where they want. No wards will be able to stop him."

"Those cats are very rare," whispered Minerva in shock. "There are only about ten in the entire world that we know of. To be an animagus of one is even rarer. People rarely have a magical animagus form. They tend to be mundane animals. Harry is more powerful than we initially thought. We are going to have to find information and work with him."

"I'll find the information," offered Hermione at once. "You all know how much I love doing research. It would be interesting to see what kind of powers Shadow Cats have. With Harry being an animagus, will he have to register?"

"I doubt it as he is who he is," said Salazar. "Being a founder's heir should automatically give him exemption from that. Also due to him being a magical animagus would put him further in the spotlight and I can't see Sirius or Amelia doing that to him. They will want to make sure he is safe from people wanting to do experiments on him."

"It would also be good to keep it a secret as a surprise for those that challenge the school," said Draco thoughtfully. "That would be an extra defense for the school or anyone in Harry's party should he get attacked again. How much longer will this fight go on? I'm starting to get really worried."

"Harry and Sirius have teamed up to subdue Fenrir," stated Luna. "The stupid mutt made the mistake of dismissing Sirius. Sirius attacked him and when Fenrir went after Sirius, he made the mistake of turning his back on Harry. Professor Flitwick and Severus have Fenrir in custody. Right now, Severus and Sirius are trying to get Harry calmed down so that he can change back into a human."

"The last of the wolves has fallen outside," said Susan. "The Aurors and Unspeakables are now rounding up the ones that are still alive and are placing them in a transport cage. Others are busy making sure that the bodies of the dead wolves are cleared away once they get some form of recognition as to who they could possibly be."

"It's safe to remove the school from lockdown now," said Luna to Minerva. "The threat has been ended thanks to the combined efforts of Harry and the Ministry personnel. We can ease the worries of the students now. The danger has passed."

Minerva canceled the lockdown and then proceeded to call the occupants of the castle to the Great Hall. From there, she explained what happened and everything went by quickly. As a reward, she gave the students an hour to do what they were doing before the lockdown happened. From there, she gathered her party and proceeded to the entrance of the tunnel.

"I didn't know that many people knew about this tunnel," admitted Sirius. "I was already on my way to the castle when I received the patronus message. I sent word back to Amelia to send a squad to assist in stopping the attack."

"What were you coming to the castle for?" asked Harry as they began to thank the goblins for their timely intervention. "I'm always happy to see you, but why were you coming here? Is there something wrong that I need to know about or something?"

"No," replied Sirius. "I was coming to tell you that we retrieved the ring. Not only did we find it, but we managed to get our hands on the property that was formerly owned by the Dark Lord's family. The Gaunt shack has been leveled and cleared, and Riddle Manor is now under Ministerial control. We placed wards around it to prevent anyone from accessing it without permission. As the stone has the Peverell symbol on it, I was bringing the ring back to you. It is yours by birthright. We have had it cleared of all dark magic and curses. It's safe to wear it."

"Master of Death," said Salazar solemnly as Sirius placed the ring on Harry's finger. "All three of the Hallows are united again. There will be extra classes for Harry as he now owns and possess all three of the ancient talismans. We knew of the Hallows, but we didn't realize that Harry would come into possession of all three. It's too late to change it now. It mainly means that certain people will want them. They will know that Harry has all three and will challenge him for them."

"No they don't," proclaimed Harry to the astonishment of group. "No one knows that my cloak is a Hallow. The only one that is common knowledge that I have is the Elder Wand. Yes people know I own an invisibility cloak, but they don't know it's a Hallow. Even Dumbledore with his suspicions didn't actually prove that it was a Hallow. No one but the people standing here knows that the ring is a Hallow. Not even Riddle knew what it REALLY was. All he knew was that it belonged to a relative and he wanted it. He knew nothing of the history behind it."

"If you want to think about it, no one really knows that the Elder Wand is a Hallow either," said Hermione logically. "All they know is that it's the Death Stick and such. Mostly only your pureblood families will know about the history of the wand in LEGENDS. To them, it's just a powerful wand. No one really knows much about the Hallows except what's told in that story in the book. Dumbledore is probably one of the few that knows they are real. He is in the goblin mines in prison, so he can't do anything about it anyway. Harry is blood related to the original owners of these items. No one can really take them from him."

"Very logical," deduced Minerva. "Twenty points to Harry, Luna, Susan, Hermione, Draco, and the twins. Another one hundred will be given to Harry as well as an award for services to the school for the capture of Fenrir Greyback. Well done to all of you. I think I speak for all of you when I say that we are very proud of all of you. For now, I suggest that you all go and enjoy your evening. I know that you have other things you might want to do."

The group all split up and went about their duties around the castle. Those that had homework went and worked on that. Hermione and Luna went together to the library to start researching Harry's animagus form while Draco calmly explained the situation to him. Oddly enough, Harry didn't get upset. He was rather proud of himself for being able to transform into such a magnificent creature. He spent twenty minutes telling Draco and Neville what it felt like and how graceful he felt in the form. He was also telling the others what it felt like to beat on Greyback.

Days passed and soon the holidays were upon them. Christmas arrived, and people exchanged gifts back and forth. Harry surprised many by finding and giving rare things. For Severus he got him some of the rarest potions ingredients known. He had been secretly going to the Chamber to start harvesting the basilisk. Thanks to Fawkes he was able to get tears and ash. With the help from Hagrid, he was able to procure acromantula venom and a few other things from the forest.

For Neville, Harry found and gave some rare herbology books. Hermione received books on her favorite subject. He also got her a signed book from two muggle authors. She loved the Edgar Allen Poe book and the Romeo and Juliet book signed by their respective authors. Draco was given a pendent that Harry found in his vault which the blonde loved.

Each person was given gifts that went with their strengths. Harry received just as many gifts as everyone else. For the first time in a long time, he felt normal. He knew he was loved and was grateful for the support of his ready-made family. The goblins also gave Harry a gift. They were able to obtain and destroy the Horcrux that was in the cup. Once it was cleaned of the darkness, the cup was returned to Susan as it was hers by birthright.

"That just leaves the snake left," stated Harry with happiness. "Once we kill her, Voldemort can be killed by anyone. This has been a great holiday for me. Thank you everyone for all of the wonderful presents that you have given me. I appreciate and love each of you for gifts and your thoughtfulness that goes with them. Most of all, I want to thank you for giving me my first NORMAL family style holiday."

Everyone gathered together to eat dinner and enjoyed their companionship with one another. Sirius stopped in long enough to open gifts and to tell everyone that Ronald's trial was set for two days from Christmas. It was time to serve a punishment to the red head for his atrocious actions.

The courtroom filled up with the representative of those that were needed. Harry and his party were sitting together as usual with Severus with them in case of an emergency. Augusta took her place as Chief Witch with both Amelia and Sirius on either side of her. When everyone was settled, they brought Ron in and the trial began.

"We are gathered here today to finally decide on a punishment for Ronald Bilius Weasley," intoned Augusta. "He is being charged with the following crimes. He willfully and knowingly dosed a fellow classmate with a Compulsion Potion in attempt to get her to harm another student. He also was attempting to give other types of potions to a different student. He is being accused to attempting to hamper the learning abilities of a fellow student in order to make said student compliant and malleable. He is also accused to receiving money from the vaults of an Ancient and Noble House illegally to spy on and befriend the Lord. Arthur Weasley, does this panel have your permission to question and ascertain his guilt or innocence? As the father of this minor, your cooperation is desired and requested."

"Yes Madam Chief Witch," proclaimed Arthur. "I, Arthur Bilius Weasley, give permission for my son to be questioned by any means from the Wizengamot members. I shall also abide by any decision requested for his punishment. It's time for this sordid annoyance to come to an end. I want my family to behave like the people they are supposed to be and not something that was born to hurt others. I thought I raised my children better. Apparently I was wrong on that account."

"What we decide here today will be final," stated Augusta. "Whatever punishment that's given will be enforced to the fullest extent of the law. We don't have time for people who set out to harm or enslave others. Madam Bones, would you please see to it that young Mr. Weasley is appropriately dosed with the Truth Serum?"

"With pleasure," mumbled Amelia looking relieved at the thought of finally putting someone in their place that deserves it. "This potion was created by Potions Master and Sponsor, Severus Snape. We have had it tested by our own court approved tester and he signed that it was a legitimate potion up to the usual high standards given by said person."

With that, Harry and his party watched as Ron was given the serum. It took a moment before his eyes glazed over stating that the potion was taking effect. When Amelia turned back, she motioned to Augusta and Sirius to start the questioning.

"What is your name?" asked Augusta as a preliminary question. "Please state your full name and family for the record."

"Ronald Bilius Weasley," said Ron with a catch in his voice. "I'm the sixth son of Arthur and Molly Weasley. William, Charles, Percival, Fredrick, and George are older than me and Ginevra is younger than me."

"Did you dose Miss Granger with a Compulsion Potion?" asked Augusta. "If so, why did you do it? We need to know what was going on in your mind that made you want to harm another student in Hogwarts."

"Me and Ginny did dose her," admitted Ron. "We did it to get her to help us get to Harry. By dosing her, we figured that she would do what we told her and she would get the blame for everything once Harry died. She is a mudblood and she doesn't deserve to be in our world. She is always lording over us that she knows more."

"The witness will answer the questions asked and not add to the statements," yelled Harry. "That was an uncalled for attack on the reputation of Hermione."

"I second his remark," called Draco. "That was callous and uncalled for. The witness needs to remember that he is already in loads of trouble and every outburst like this will only make him appear more stupid than he already is."

"Sustained," said Augusta looking at the two fondly. "Mr. Weasley, you will kindly answer the questions that we ask or your punishment will be worse for you. We will now move onto the next question. Was it your intent to dose Mr. Potter with potions as well? If so, why would you do that? Why would you want to harm someone that you claim to be your friend?"

"We were going to dose Harry to make sure he got Ginny pregnant," said Ron to the astonishment of the panel. "We were going to claim that he raped her and she ended up pregnant. This way, he would forfeit his titles and money to us. The more we had, the better we could treat him like nothing. His fame wouldn't have been able to save him. Now he has the staff of Hogwarts wrapped around his finger and we are in trouble when he should be sorry to be alive."

"OBJECTION!" yelled Harry once more. "He is going too far. I want restitution for that remark. Apparently even under the influence of a potion, he can't get his mouth and brain to do what he is told."

"Objection is sustained," hissed Augusta angrily. "An extension will be added to your sentence for being in contempt of court. This is your last warning about adding on to your answers. We only want to know if you did it and why. We don't want your opinion of Mr. Potter and his actions or what he owns. Amelia, dose him again. For some reason, he is able to bypass the rule about not adlibbing. I want him totally compliant while we finish this."

"There might be a potion in his system that is allowing it," stated Severus looking on in curiosity and concern. "As the Truth Serum is of my making, it is stronger than most. However, there are certain other potions that will enable the defendant to add things such as an opinion. However, I can testify that he is under the influence of the potion."

"He was at home while waiting for his trial," said Arthur. "It is quite possible that he had potions hidden in the house that I didn't know about. I was only able to keep an eye on them personally when I wasn't at work. It's very possible that they obtained the potion when one of my older sons was keeping an eye on them."

"We are also going to add the charge of attempted line theft to this witness and his sister when the time comes for her trial," stated Augusta wanting to end this once and for all to pass sentence on the red headed twit. Have you been spying on Lord Potter?"

"Yes," said Ron. "Professor Dumbledore was paying me and Ginny to get as much information about Harry as we could. The more we could find out, the better our pay packets were. We were told that the money was coming right out of Harry's vaults. He never knew that most of the money was hidden away from him. We have a stash of money hidden in the Burrow. Harry will never see that money again. It is how we have been able to get the potions. Giving Percy a Sleeping Potion was enough for us to be able to get more potions and hide them away."

"A search of the Burrow will be asked for," stated Sirius as Arthur nodded in agreement. "We want all money and potions found and dealt with. Madam Longbottom, let's just end this. The more he speaks the more trouble he will get into. At the rate he is going, he will be eligible to receive the Dementor's Kiss. He has broken so many laws that the Dark Lord is looking like a good guy."

"All those who believe that the defendant is guilty, please light your wands," stated Augusta agreeing with Sirius. Every wand on the panel lifted and was lit. Even quite a few of the spectators had raised their lit wand in a guilty verdict. "Very well! This court finds the accused guilty of all crimes presented. For succeeding in dosing Miss Granger with a potion that would have killed her, you will be sentenced to fifty years in Azkaban Prison on your seventeenth birthday. For you attempted use of illegal potions on Mr. Potter, you will receive the Dementor's Kiss on your thirtieth birthday. This means that you will probably not live long enough to serve your full fifty years. Until you reach your seventeenth birthday, you will remain in a secured prison cell within the Ministry of Magic. You will have no outside contact. You will not be allowed to speak with or see your family. Guards take him away."

"I WAS YOUR FRIEND," Ron screamed at Harry. "How could you let them do this to me? I was your ONLY friend. Now you are acting like you are so much better than me. You are just a loser like the rest of them. I hope the Dark Lord kills you. You deserve it."

Harry lifted his hand and sent a powerful Bludgeoning Hex at Ron's stomach. While he was doing that, Draco, Luna, Susan, and Neville were also doing damage to parts of Ron. Hexes and curses of different colors were flying at the idiot. No one from the panel of judges stopped them. All knew that he finally went too far. After a few moments, Harry stopped his party and watched as the guards roughly dragged Ron out of the courtroom to his new cell.

"I certainly hope that you don't believe what he just said," stated Arthur looking to Harry. "He is an idiot and he certainly got what he deserved. You do NOT deserve to die and you ARE a good person. Don't let people like him get you down. You deserve to be happy just as much as the next person. You are still a part of my family. We only have one oddball left to get rid of."

Harry smiled at the man before he sat down and waited to be dismissed from the session. Life would be something interesting if things like this kept happening to the best of people. Harry was determined to get to the bottom of all of the insanity that many people seemed to possess when it came to his person.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – This chapter just got away from me. I couldn't find a good spot to stop it so that I could start in the next chapter. I hope you all like my outlook on the history of what his going on around Hogwarts and the founders. I think it makes for a different and interesting read.


	10. You Can't Always Get What You Want

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

A SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO DZ2 FOR HIS IDEA OF THE MUSIC CRYSTALS. I LIKED THE IDEA SO MUCH THAT I ASKED PERMISSION TO USE IT AND HE SAID YES. THEREFORE CREDIT FOR THAT GOES TO HIM. I RECOMMEND READING COLD HEART, DARK SOUL BY HIM TO GET THE FULL IDEA HE HAD!

Chapter 10

You Can't Always Get What You Want

Upon returning to the castle, the teens were still fuming about the audacity of the youngest Weasley male. Even the twins were ready to spit acid at his stupidity and mouth. Minerva, Severus, and the founders worked hard to get them to calm down. It wasn't that easy as they had quite a few upset teens to work with.

Upon calming down, they told the others what happened and what was said at the trial. Upon finishing their explanation, the adults could understand the fury that was with the teens. Ronald had said some pretty hurtful and ignorant things to Harry.

"Keep one thing in mind Harry," said Minerva in her soothing voice. "Weasley never did speak with his head. He always just popped out with the most embarrassing and hurtful things he could think of when he wasn't getting his way. Don't you remember that it was because of him that Hermione almost got killed by the troll? It was also his fault that you got into trouble for the flying car incident. Also he wasn't very bright last year with the incident involving the Goblet of Fire. He just isn't a smart person. He will do what he has to, to hurt someone when he doesn't get his way. If I were you, I would just count your blessings that he is now out of your hair. He can't hurt you anymore. He will be in trouble with the Ministry for a VERY long time."

"At least the Wizengamot let you all hex and curse him for a while," offered Severus. "None of you are in trouble for that nor will anyone tell you anything about it. He's just lucky that it was you all that were doing it. Some of the older witches and wizards were looking like they were ready to commit murder. What he said had no truth to it nor did it have the impact that he wanted. All he succeeded in doing was to get to spend the rest of his life in some kind of correctional facility. I would love to have seen him in the mines of the goblins. They would have made sure that his mouth learned to stay shut."

"I know what he said was hurtful, but you are stronger than that," said Helga wisely. "You are one of the most gifted students that have ever graced these halls. I can give you no better praise than that. You are skilled, intelligent, gentle, and compassionate. While the rest of your house mates have that, they don't have them in the abundance that you do."

"You are a good person Harry," said Draco grabbing him by the arm. "You do so much for so many and you NEVER ask for anything in return. Don't let the Weasel get to you. You are better than that, and you are definitely better than he is. I think that every one of us here will tell you that there is no way in hell we will allow the Dark Lord to harm you. You have so much more to give than he does. All he does is harm EVERYONE. That includes his followers. You treat everyone with a generosity that is sometimes annoying if truth be told."

This had the desired effect he was going for. Harry started to laugh. Soon everyone was laughing with him. Minerva gave Draco twenty well-earned points for his assistance. Each person knew that with Harry's power that his emotions would cause his magic to lash out. With his magic being affected by his anger, he could cause serious damage to person or place. While Harry was in control of his magic, there were times when he couldn't stop the maelstrom it would sometimes inadvertently cause.

"I have been thinking about something for a while now," said Godric nodding to Filius who waved his wand and sent wrapped bundles to each of the teens. "It's time for me to start training you how to use something other than a wand. In each of these parcels, there is a sword. While Harry already has one, he can't use it for practice as one small cut could kill someone due to the basilisk venom that is in the blade. We are going to teach you how to use swords to defend yourself. Please note that the swords for the young ladies are slightly different and weigh a little less than those for the young men due to the build of the ladies."

"I have a suggestion as well," said Hermione raising her hand when Godric finished his explanation. After getting a nod from Godric, she continued. "If we are going to learn how to use swords, why don't we take it a step further? My dad was a marksman in the service to Her Royal Majesty before becoming a dentist. I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking some time to teach us how to shoot a gun. Even the most powerful of magic user can't stop a bullet if they don't know that it's coming or expect it. I could always send him a letter and see what he says."

"That IS something for us to think about as well," said Severus with a thoughtful look on his face. "Obtaining the weapons and getting a license shouldn't be that hard for Sirius and Amelia to do. From what we are to understand, they talk with the Queen frequently about what's going on here in the magical world. I have no doubt that she would approve it. She may even let us train you at one of the facilities that they train other marksmen with."

"We can also learn karate," said Harry suddenly. At the confused looks on the faces of the purebloods, Harry quickly went on to explain what it was. "It's a form of hand to hand combat. Basically, you are taught how to stop a fist or kick from connecting with your body. You are taught how to hit certain areas of the body to incapacitate your foes. Even a wizard with a wand won't be able to stop a punch to the sternum or other pressure points in the body if it's done correctly and with power. With our classes not being as hard as they normally would be due to our group training together away from everyone else most of the time, we could always take an hour a day if you could find us a teacher that is muggle born or a squib. Within a few months, not only would we be able to defend ourselves with just our hands and feet, but we would also be in better physical condition. Also, incapacitating our foes for just a few moments allows us to escape a situation to regroup and get a better plan of attack if we are at war with someone."

"We'll look into getting you a tutor for that," said Minerva agreeing at once. "I'll ask Sirius to talk with the Queen about you lot learning how to fire a gun. If Hermione's father is willing to do so, he can come to the castle twice a week, for an hour, and teach you all how to fire the weapon. I have no problem with you all learning how to defend yourselves and stopping an aggressor. In fact, I think it's a great idea and I would like to implement it. We can even allow some of our other more trustworthy students to become part of the exercises provided their parents or guardians agree."

"I have a contact in the muggle world that can help us with the Karate part," said Severus to Minerva. "With your permission, I can head out tomorrow and talk with him. I have no doubt that he would be willing to come and teach the teens how to do so. We could even take them to the muggle world where they will be safer while they learn. This will keep Hogwarts safe for those that don't need to know about what we are doing or those that don't know about magic."

"If we get permission for them to learn how to shoot a gun, we can say three times a week they can go out for two hours," said Minerva writing it down. "On the days where Mr. Granger has off, they can take an extra hour of self-defense classes with the Karate. With Severus being with them, I will still worry, but not as much. I'm sure that Sirius can get a Ministry worker or two to assist Severus in their protection. This will still give the students of this tower time to study and do their homework. After all, we don't want them to fall behind in their studies. This is their OWL year."

"From what we are seeing, they are all doing brilliantly in their studies," remarked Filius. "Harry is at the top of his year mates in grades in the studies he is taking. The rest are slowly but steadily improving in their weak spots and climbing to a comfortable level on the chart. With the way we work with them, they are advanced for their year. In some instances, they are learning a grade higher than normal. I think this would benefit this tower if they went and did things that were needed. You are correct that we don't want them to fall behind. Even advanced students will have troubles if they neglect their studies."

The next day, while Severus went into the muggle world, Godric had the teens all standing together in a line. He stood in front of them with Filius standing next to him to show them how to hold the sword correctly. While he was explaining, Filius would go around and help correct holds, stances, and anything else that the teens would need to be effective in the lessons that they were getting in swordsmanship. Once they had the proper holds and stances, Godric taught them how to parry and thrust. He had them repeat the exercise for an hour while helping with correcting form and encouraging them to think about them thrusting their sword into someone trying to kill them to give the thrust more power.

When the training was done, the teens were all groaning about the felling in their arms and legs. While the blades weren't extremely heavy, it was still hard to hold a large bit of metal in a certain stance and do the same repetitive motions over and over. Godric laughed at them and told them to expect this type of training for the next two weeks. He also told them that for an hour in the mornings that they would start with calisthenics so that they could build up their strength and muscle tone.

Severus came in and told the members that he was successful in his endeavor to get them a Sensei for their karate training. Upon inspection of the teens, he saw them all trying to rub out kinks and aches in their arms and lower backs. He took pity on them, and with the assistance of Pomona and Poppy, he rubbed in some potion into their arms, legs, and backs to help relieve the stress from the day's training.

"We are going to use this potion daily on your muscles," instructed Severus. "Tonight, you all are going to learn how to brew it. The purpose of the potion is to keep your muscles from causing you to not sleep. It doesn't take away your aches so much as it lessens the tension in your muscles. One other thing that you will all do is to soak in a hot tub of scented water each night. The tubs are well large enough for you all to soak for at least thirty minutes. Starting next week, you will be going out for two hours each evening to learn karate with Sensei Kim. She will push you to extremes just like Godric and Filius will. Tuesdays and Thursdays, you will have two hours with Sensei Kim as you will have an hour at the shooting range on the other three days."

"So Sirius was able to get us three nights a week to learn how to shoot a gun?" asked Harry while Severus rubbed in the potion. "Will we get a license to carry a gun and such when we are done?"

"He was very successful in that particular endeavor," stated Severus with a nod. "You will all receive a license and a registered gun upon your graduation of training with the marksmen at the range. The training should take about two months if not longer. It just depends on how well you all do with what you are being taught. I would imagine that within a year, your Sensei will want to up your training in hand to hand combat as well. I will be participating in that as will a couple of Aurors that will be assigned there for your protection. That way, we can have adults learning the techniques as well as you youngsters. Now that you are all wearing some of the potion, you are to head to the tubs and start to soak. I'll come and get you in about an hour so that you can learn how to brew it. From there, you all have homework to complete."

From there the teens all went for their soak. They knew that when Severus suggested something that it was for the best. In the months that they had been working together, they were all marveling at the changes in people. Sirius was more serious. He took to his duties with pride and gusto. Draco was calmer and walking around with natural poise and happiness on his face. Severus was no longer a cruel taskmaster that was determined to make students cry and fear him. Even people like Harry and Luna were actually walking around differently. Since they became engaged to one another, the pair was rarely seen out of the company of the other. Of course, when they needed time alone or with their own gender, the other would politely find something to do and no one's feelings were hurt.

Sirius came to the castle the next day during their training with the swords. He watched the teens as they went through the drills. It seemed that they were comfortable with what they were doing. He knew the teens needed more than one way to defend themselves and their group. He stood with Filius as the teens finished their lesson for the day. Upon entering the tower, he assisted the professors in applying the potion to the students. Severus worked with them the night before to brew the new batch. Even though it was an advanced potion, all of them were able to brew it with no troubles.

"You will have your first lesson in gun control and usage on Monday," he informed the teens. "Also, we had to push back the trial for Ginevra Weasley by a week. Her trial will be at ten in the morning a week from Thursday. Once that is done, we can finally get rid of some of the troublemakers that have been causing problems for some of you in this tower. For your forays into the muggle world, Tonks will be your guard while Kingsley will actually take the classes with you to help you along the way. From there, he will teach what he learns to others via a pensieve. This way, he can show the recruits to the Auror department what he is learning and we can all learn effectively. Some of our muggleborn witches and wizards will accompany you to the firing range so that they have another weapon in their arsenal to fight the forces of the Dark Lord with. The more weapons we have the easier it will be to stop him and his cronies."

"Hermione," Harry called when Sirius was done talking. Hermione had picked her book back up and was attempting to read it again. "I noticed that for the last few days that you have had your nosed pressed into that book. What are you researching? Is it something that all of us can learn? You know we would love to share in some of the knowledge you are picking up if it's important."

"I actually found out some of the powers of a Shadow Cat," said Hermione pointing to the book. "Some of the gifts that you have will go a long way in helping us win this war. There is not a ton of information, but what IS here is very useful. If you all sit here, I can tell you what I found out. It is really good. From there, we can hit the tubs and then finish our homework."

The students all looked surprised at each other as they made their way to their chairs. Hermione was very gifted when it came to research. When she stated that something was useful and interesting, you could bet that she meant what she said. Sirius shrugged at Severus as he too sat and waited to hear what the younger witch found out.

"A Shadow Cat is aptly named," she began with the basics. "A Shadow Cat can travel using the shadows that surround them. Even the smallest of shadows can be used to assist the travel from one place to another. As they are a predatory cat, they have nothing to worry about in the shadows. Even a vampire or other shadow creature will not be able to harm a Shadow Cat that is traveling in the shadows. Certain types of magical creatures can also travel in the shadows, but the power of a Shadow Cat is unique. They can actually cast spells in the language of the feline. Most other creatures of the shadow realm can't cast magic in the shadow themselves. They can use the shadows to assist them, but they can't use magic IN the shadows. Harry will be an exception to that rule."

"Whoa," said Harry. "Are you telling me that even in my animagus form that I can cast spells at people? That would be kind of hard wouldn't it? I'm only just learning how to do wandless magic thanks to Salazar. I'm doing alright in nonverbal for my year, but wandless is still difficult depending on the spell I'm using."

"It won't be that hard for you," said Hermione patiently. "In fact, your wandless magic should get easier the more you use it. I would say that you are not having the success you want due to you not believing in yourself. You are holding yourself back. Next, being a true human, you should be able to start speaking the language of the feline just as you can the serpent. This will enable you to have another advantage in the fight against the Dark Lord. He can only speak parseltongue. You can speak the language of cats. I think that Godric has been waiting to find another that can do that. It's part of the reason that his mascot is the Lion. He could actually TALK to the cats. You will be able to do the same."

"I do have some books that have been written in the language," said Godric. "Harry should be able to read them just as easy as he can read Sal's books that are written in parseltongue. There is no training needed. Either you have the gift or you don't. I can have the books brought to you tonight while you are resting. There is no need to rush to learn what's in them. If you are able to read them, they can help you. You can always teach the others what you learn if you feel it important for them to do so. If you can't read them, it isn't that big of a deal."

"The last thing that is important for you to know is that in your animagus form, you can apparate anywhere in the world," said Hermione. "You can even apparate here inside of Hogwarts. Much like a phoenix can go anywhere, you will have the ability to do the same. There are no wards able to stop a Shadow Cat from entering a place if they choose to go there. I think that once you get the hang of some of your powers, that you will be able to apparate in your human form anywhere you want to go with just a mere thought."

"Thank you for that information," said Harry with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I'm not sure what to make of all of this yet. I know that you wrote that all down and stuff. I'll have to read it again to make sure I understand it all. I guess it still depends on me letting my mind believe that I can actually do this stuff. The sooner we start testing some of the theories, the sooner I can start to grasp what you mean. I know that even with all of the intelligence I have that sometimes, you have to convince yourself that you are in fact capable of doing things."

"I think there is something else you should know," said Godric as he gave a pointed look at Severus. "We believe that you have more gifts than you realize. Severus and Sal did some tests on your blood and we came to the conclusion that you have even more benefits than the normal witch or wizard would have. We waited to tell you as you already have so much going on, but now is as good a time as any to tell you what we think and believe."

"We found that you should have some of the same healing qualities that a phoenix does," said Severus before Harry could ask. "When we examined your blood under a modified microscope that I created, we noticed that some of your blood cells were different from normal. Before you start to panic and bemoan the fact, this is a VERY good thing. You will be immune to most poisons if not all of them. So far, all of the poisons we have tried have all failed to infect your blood sample. Only one poison that we know of is as lethal as a basilisk. Acromantula venom is powerful enough to kill immediately. However, we don't have the skill to go near the nest to obtain some of the venom needed to see if you are immune to that as well."

"We believe that it's because you were bitten by the basilisk that I had in the Chamber of Secrets," said Salazar. "The poison was in your blood for a few minutes even before Fawkes cried into the wound. Your body, while it WAS losing, was actually adapting to the poison in your system. You survived the bite and you were healed by the phoenix tears entering into your system. So we have come to the conclusion that you are safer than most in the aspect that your blood can't be poisoned by conventional methods due to have the most deadly poison and the most powerful antidote entering your blood steam. It is safe to say that if you were bitten by a snake that you would only feel the pain of the initial bite as the poison would be ineffective to your blood."

"I actually like the sound of that," said Harry quietly. "I have noticed that I heal faster when I get hurt. It takes anything from a couple of minutes to an hour or so at most to heal when I get cut or hurt. Dursley broke my arm during the summer and it healed in a few days. That must be the phoenix tears doing that. What type of magic can parseltongue and feline do? I know that the Dark Lord uses parseltongue to hurt people, but there has to be a light side to all of that."

"Ah!" stated Salazar with delight. "I'm so glad that you asked. Parselmagic can actually be used to heal an individual and fight curses within the body. Protective spells are powerful when cast in parseltongue. I suggest that you start practicing some of your spells in the serpent language so that you can get a feel of how good they are. Sometimes, we need to do things by trial and error so that we learn what it is we need to learn. In this aspect, this will be a trial and error testing for you to see if you can use the serpent tongue to do good things with. I highly doubt that you will have any trouble, but we can take it one step at a time. Unfortunately, you will have another set of lessons added to your already full plate."

"The feline tongue is used to fight with," said Godric when Sal was done. "While your DADA spells are good, if you use them talking in the feline language, you will intensify them by about fifty times stronger than they already are. Once you read my books on the language, you will be given special training so that you can use the language as well as your animagus form to cast spell with."

"We have one more bit of news for you and then you are to head off to your bath," said Severus. "Three times a week, we will get together and I will teach you Occlumency and Legilimency. We want you to be able to protect your minds as well as use the gift of mind magic. This will enable you to protect yourselves better. If a person such as the Dark Lord or Dumbledore can't read your mind, then they have no idea as to what you are going to do next. I am speculating that Harry will now have a natural barrier in his mind since he has become the Shadow Cat. I also read that it is one of the gifts of that particular animagus forms. There were only three others in history that could do that. Circe, Godric, Merlin, and now Harry are the ones that can say they could do that."

"You are just full of surprises aren't you Godric?" asked a grinning Harry. "It seems that the more we find out about ourselves the more we find out that the four founders were even more special than history revealed. I have no doubt that someone will give us a history lesson tomorrow. I do hope that we can get some more input as to what the ladies have done in this building. I would hate to have to hex the spirits of the two male founders for hogging up the show."

"Can you even hex a spirit?" asked Neville as the boys headed up to the men's bathroom. "I didn't think it was possible to hex something that is already dead."

"Neville, my friend, you have a lot to learn," said Harry wrapping an arm over his shoulders. "With magic, you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Why do you think Peeves no longer bothers me? I did some research and created a spell that will actually make a ghost or poltergeist run in fear. I hope to have my spell sent to wherever it needs to go for recognition."

The four founders were standing there speechless. Even Severus and Sirius weren't sure what to make of that conversation. Harry was already creating spells. Now he created one that makes a spirit run in fear of something happening to it. Harry's magic and knowledge seemed to have no bounds to it.

"I think that once the soul shard was taken from him that he was able to start using his full potential," stated Rowena. "He has power and knowledge in abundance. I would even venture to say that he is more powerful than we were in our prime. All he needs is the knowledge and confidence to go with it. He will rival Merlin in name when it's all said and done."

With that the adults all left the teens to their devices for the evening. Severus was going to wait for a few days before he stated training the teens in the arts of the mind magic. He knew that the teens already had a full plate.

Time was starting to seriously fly for the teens. With two hours a day spent in the muggle world training, an hour with Severus learning mind magic, and their homework for their classes, the teens had very little time for normal activities. Godric still trained them for an hour in the day for their sword practice. The teens took it all in stride and with the endurance that all youngsters had, they didn't complain much and just went with it. The resilience of the teens was astonishing as they just seemed to bounce back.

During one of the evenings, Helga sat the teens down for a history lesson. The teens were delighted to be taught something by the normally passive healer. They knew she was a powerful witch in her time, but she rarely told them about her contributions to the castle and such.

"As many of you noticed, there are many statues and suits of armor all around the castle," she began when she noticed all the dicta-quills set up and ready to go. "We created them to help in the defense of the castle. Each statue or suit or armor is able to move and defend us if the need is there. While Salazar had his pet, I went a different route. Who would be scared of a badger? Therefore, I used some of my family magic to breathe a little bit of life into each of them. When the code word is said, they will totally come alive and defend the castle until they are completely obliterated."

"That's fascinating," stated Harry as he listened with rapt attention. "However, you gave the suits of armor more than just an activation code. The suits are able to walk around on their own. If I didn't know any better, I would swear you did it to confuse those that weren't supposed to be in a certain part of the castle or indeed the castle at all."

"You would be correct Harry," she admitted. "I did design them to confuse people who aren't supposed to be in certain areas. The idea came that even though we separated the houses that the students needed time to themselves to be with their family within Hogwarts. Therefore, we made sure that the suits would confuse members of the other houses from finding the entrances to the dorm rooms of the others houses. Now I know you were all expecting more tonight, but that is the history that I am giving. I was the one to create the statues and armor and give them the personality that I did. I did it to protect the students and the castle in times of war. In time, I will give the three heirs the activation code. Normally only the Headmaster, Headmistress, and the Deputy can have the code, but I feel that the heirs need it as well."

The group all sat around and talked a bit about this. They were impressed with the thought that went into the idea as well as the execution of the style. They all knew that this would be beneficial if the Dark Lord decided to attack the castle for whatever reason.

"I have a gift for everyone," said Harry nodding to Dobby to bring him the trunk from his room. "I was reading about different Arithmancy formulas and I came up with the greatest thing. Once I was successful, I was able to make one for everyone that is in the castle. It took me some time, but I was able to do so. I've been working on this for about a month or so. I had the elves go around and find out what everyone's favorite kind of music was. From there, I created music crystals. Once I had the general concept, it was easy to place the music into the crystals. The hardest part was creating the actual crystals and instilling the magic to let the music play."

"So this is more magic that you have created to help others or to give relief to people who want it," said Minerva impressed. "That you did it in secret to offer a present to everyone and you have a very skilled person sitting in front of me. What did you chose for my music?"

"Bagpipe music of course," said Harry smiling. "Severus likes classical music. It took some time for all of the elves to hear what type of music everyone was playing. Therefore I had to wait to start putting the music in the crystals. Being Scottish, I knew you would love the sound of bagpipes. So I got some of that music and placed it in a crystal for you."

Harry reached into the trunk and pulled out some crystals and read the names tags. He gave each member of the tower theirs and asked for permission to go to the four other common rooms to give the students and teachers theirs. Minerva made things easy for Harry and called the students and professors to assembly in the Great Hall. Harry and Dobby got the trunk to the Great Hall where he explained to the students and other professors what he had done.

"I will start marketing these soon," said Harry. "I just have to talk with Sirius and a solicitor to get the paperwork started. Once that is done, I can start making these in bulk and set up a shop somewhere to sell them. I think they would make a lovely gift for friends and relatives. If this doesn't take too long, I can have my shop set up by the end of the school year. I hope that you all enjoy what I made for you. I just wanted to do something nice for everyone."

Everyone read the little pamphlet given with their crystal to learn how to activate them. Harry was delighted to see so many with the crystals flashing with the soft lights while the music played softly for them. Each student and professor was smiling largely as they headed back for their common rooms. Many of them knew that this was a wonderful thing that Harry had done for them. The members of his tower were in awe of the gifts. Luna was listening to her crystal that had sounds of nature in it. He had made one similar for himself as it helped him to concentrate better.

Harry promised the group that lived with him that he would teach them how to make the crystals and that he would pay them to help him make enough to stock his store in Diagon Alley as well as one in Hogsmeade. He even offered some of them jobs during the summer to work in the two shops. His friends were delighted by the prospect and were eager to learn how to help him and earn some spending money for themselves. Fred and George even offered to let him make them and stock them in their joke shop as one of the few non joke items available for sale.

Each night after that, Severus would sit the teens down and work with them on building their shields to protect their minds. Just like he suspected, Harry had natural barriers that not even he could penetrate. Many didn't know it, but Severus was just as high up in mind magic as Voldemort and Dumbledore. He knew many tricks that he would teach the teens that would help them succeed in defeating the evil that was threatening to take over the planet. So far, the teens were receptive to his teaching. A few of them complained about headaches after, but Severus assured them that it would get better the more they improved.

Harry sat there and made a list of things that he knew he had to do in one day's time. An hour before breakfast, he had calisthenics with Godric. From there, he had enough time to get a quick shower before he went to breakfast. After breakfast he had normal classes until four in the afternoon on some days and five on others. At seven, the teens had two hours of karate and their gun classes. At nine, they had an hour with Godric to work on swordsmanship. From ten thirty to midnight, they did their studying and homework. Thankfully, the year was starting to move by. December turned into January, and January turned into February. It wasn't long before it was time for Ginny's trial.

On that morning, Luna was a bit cranky. She wasn't feeling one hundred percent and asked to be left at the castle to get some more sleep. She was tired from all of the extracurricular activities that she was doing. Minerva and Poppy promised to keep an eye on her for Harry. The rest of the teens headed out to the Ministry building to witness the final trial of the people who were attempting to harm Harry and his group. Once everyone was sitting, Augusta started the proceedings.

"Before we begin, is there any new news that needs to be brought to our attention?" she asked as she noticed that Luna wasn't present. "If so, now is the time to bring it to our attention so that we can get on with the trial of the youngest of the Weasley bunch."

"Madam Chief Witch," called Harry. "Luna couldn't be here today due to illness. Madam Pomphrey and Headmistress McGonagall are sitting with her to make sure it's nothing serious. As her betrothed, I am asking that you use your position as proxy to vote how you want due to her not being here. I'm sure she would feel better knowing that her vote will count."

"I would be honored to cast the vote for her Lord Potter," stated Augusta smiling. "When you see her when you get back to the castle, would you please tell her for us that we are hoping that she gets better soon? We also hope that she is going to recover quickly."

"I'm sure it's nothing more than fatigue," assured Harry. "Our physical trainers are pushing us a bit hard and Luna is smaller than the rest of us making it even harder on her system than ours. Between our lessons with Her Royal Majesty's service men, Godric's swordsmanship, and our other extracurricular physical training, it has finally caught up to her. I must admit that I'm a little tired myself. We have been pushing hard not only physically, but mentally as well."

"Just let us know if you need anything," said Sirius. "We don't want you all collapsing all over the place if we are placing too many burdens on your shoulders. If it's too much, then you all need to tell us. We won't know unless you speak. Please promise me that you will tell someone if it becomes too much. I know for a fact that you are taking nine classes at Hogwarts and you are passing each and every one of them with top scores. You are also doing side study for two more classes."

"The school year is almost done and some of the lessons I won't have next year," stated Harry. "We are all doing alright, but I promise that one of us will speak up if we can't handle it all. May we please begin this trial? Some of us want to get back home and check on Luna and maybe take a nap so that we can get caught up on some rest."

Augusta and Sirius both blushed for a moment before she turned to the gathering and ordered that the Weasley female child be brought forth. The guards escorted Ginny into the room and placed her on the chair. She was bound by the chains. From there, Augusta looked at her notes and began the trial.

"We are gathered here today for the last time to judge the actions of the last person in the group that was intent on causing harm to Lord Potter and his group," said Augusta. "The charges for this prisoner are as follows: She was accepting illegal money that was taken out of Lord Potter's vaults knowing where it came from and that it was being stolen. She is also being charged with using dangerous potions on a fellow student at Hogwarts to entrap said student in guilt if the plan to ensnare Lord Potter went wrong. She was also spying on Lord Potter in attempts to bring harm to him. She is also being accused to attempting to use Potions on Lord Potter in an attempt to not only get pregnant by him, but to get access to his family fortune after the child was conceived. It is even being stated that she was going to cause an accident to Lord Potter so that she would be able to have the Potter family fortune in her hands as proxy for her unborn child. This means that she was going to attempt line theft and murder."

"These are pretty much the same crimes that her brother was recently convicted of," said Sirius as the members were muttering. "We went back and questioned Ronald Weasley more and discovered that the plan was for Lord Potter to die and his money was going to be given to Molly, Ronald, and Ginevra Weasley as well as Albus Dumbledore. These allegations were presented and the truth was stated in front of this esteemed panel. Lord Potter and his group are rather busy with school and we felt that it was in their best interest to leave them out of that particular round of questioning."

"Suffice to say that Molly Weasley and Albus Dumbledore were sentenced fifty years more to their already long time for their actions," said Amelia. "As neither was in on the plot to actually kill Lord Potter, they will not be receiving the Death Penalty. Ronald Weasley is due to receive the Dementor's Kiss in April. He is still in the mindset that Dumbledore will rescue him and he will be able to assist his sister in their quest to murder Lord Potter."

"I'm starting to think that maybe I should just leave the wizarding world all together," hissed Harry in anger. "It seems to me that every time something good happens to me, someone wants to come along and take it all away from me again. I have a megalomaniac trying to kill me for a stupid false prophecy that Dumbledore made just because he feels like it. Then we find out that certain people have done things to me just because I'm Harry fucking Potter. I am so tired of being hailed as a hero one minute and then a villain the next. I want to know who in their right mind expects me to sit back and continue to save everyone when every time that I do someone else wants me dead for it. It just doesn't make sense to me that the more I give, the more is expected of me and that when I do something small for myself that I get ostracized for it. I have had about enough."

"It makes me wonder if other people are in the same boat as Lord Potter," said Draco speaking next. "I mean, we know that there are certain people that think they can do whatever they want and can get away with it. Molly Weasley and Dumbledore get to stay in prison and get three meals a day and a place to sleep while Harry has to go around watching his back for the next knife thrown. I have to actually applaud him for his durability in staying uplifted and positive all the time about this. If I were him, I would just start hexing people for their ignorance and demeaning ways and be done with it. It's the same thing over and over again."

"What do you mean by that last statement?" asked Sirius. "What is happening over and over again? I think a clarification of your statement would go a long way in helping us put an end to the cycle that you see but we are missing. Would you please explain?"

"Think about this if you will," said Harry speaking instead. "We have Dumbledore blaming a whole lot of crap on Gellert Grindelwald. From there, the two supposedly had an epic battle where Dumbledore became the victor. Now from what is being said, the two were evenly matched in skill and knowledge. How is it, that Dumbledore was able to win that battle when Gellert had the Elder Wand? I know from experience that the magic cast with this particular wand is twice if not three times more than the average wand."

"We get our historical facts from the spirits of the four founders," said Susan. "We are listening to what they have to tell us on what really happened. You get people that will latch onto one person because they SAY that something happened. Take Lockhart for example. He is the biggest fraud and criminal known outside of the Weasleys and Dumbledore. It seems that every so many years, people will follow one person because of a misconceived role or deed done. Everyone who is everyone will think that Harry stopped the Dark Lord that night all those years ago. HOW DO WE KNOW? NONE of us were there. We don't know what happened that night. For all we know, the Dark Lord made a mistake and cast his spell wrong. It could have been something that Lily Potter did to save Harry at the last moment. We just don't know."

"People have been targeting Harry for something different each and every year that he has attended Hogwarts," said Hermione from her spot in the visitor's booth. "He has been called many bad things because of abilities he has that others don't. Some have even gone so far as to call him the next Dark Lord when we all know there isn't anything dark about Harry in the slightest. He is the epitome of generosity and goodwill. He is generous to the point of people taking advantage of that goodness."

"Then you get the greedy people that cause problems for him and demand that he do things," said Neville. "Rita Skeeter made a complete smear campaign against Harry and he NEVER got compensated for the insults, trash talking, and smut that were constantly written about him daily in the newspaper. He never once asked for anything more than to be left alone. Now we have all of this coming out that people want him dead just because he has money. It isn't even money that was his to start with. His mother and father lost their lives and that is what he got in exchange. I agree with the others. People just need to leave him alone. It isn't anyone's business if he is in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. It isn't anyone's business if his scar would hurt him. It isn't anyone's business that he wants to marry Luna."

"In a nutshell, people need to learn to shut the fuck up and deal with their own lives instead of telling me how to live mine," said Harry through gritted teeth. "All I want is to do well in my classes, open my shop when I graduate to sell my products and make a name for things that I do instead of what people THINK I have done. I just want people to butt the hell out of my private affairs and keep their hands off of what belongs to me. If things don't improve soon, I will talk to the founders and me and Luna with a few others will leave this shit hole. It's time for Magical Britain to think with its head instead of its vaults. After today, the next person that threatens my life or livelihood better run. If they don't, I won't be responsible for my actions while I'm declaring Blood Feud on them."

"I think it best that we just get this over with and let us go back home to the castle," said Luna entering the room. "My betrothed has had just about all he can manage. If he snaps and starts cursing those that have caused some of this, then many of you only have yourselves to blame. I apologize for just showing up, but my future husband needs me. I saw in a vision that he was about to snap and I for one won't blame him in the slightest."

"I doubt that many of us present would blame him," said an awed Augusta. "It just so happens that I agree with everything that has been said. We will look into getting you restitution for the slander of your good name by the Prophet. We will also look into getting you the privacy that you want and deserve."

"Don't worry about it," said Harry as Luna massaged his scalp and temples. "I had Sirius draw up the papers and bought out the shareholders of the Prophet. I now own the paper and they no longer have the right to print anything about me without my permission. I would like for all authors of books about me to be looked into and said authors be fined for what they wrote. Neither I nor my deceased parents gave them permission to write anything at all about me. I want all books about me taken off the shelves and all people responsible punished. Now I think it's time to get the harlot sentenced and get her out of my sight. I don't want to have to look upon her greedy face any longer. Just the sight of her is making me sick to my stomach."

"Well let's just do it this way," said Augusta getting back to business. "Ginevra Weasley, for your roles in all of this, this court finds you guilty. You will join your brother in receiving the Dementor's Kiss in April. Anyone who would do half of what you did doesn't deserve leniency for your actions. You will be recorded in history as the youngest person to receive the death penalty. We cannot, and will not tolerate people like you trying to kill others just because they have something that you want. This session of the Wizengamot is now closed."

"Harry," called Sirius. "I think that the lot of you deserves a few days rest to get your bearings back. I'll talk to Minerva about relieving you for a few days from all activities and so forth so that you all can rest and relax."

"No," Harry responded. "Please don't do that. We are going to be fine. I think that my emotions are just a little off right now due to all of this finally coming to a head. I can't believe that they were going to actually kill me just because they wanted my money. This is a seriously screwed up situation. I want people to just back off of me and let me do what I need to do to make sure that MY life is what I make it instead of what others WANT me to be or do. We all have the right to determine our own destinies. I shouldn't have mine taken away due to who I am or what I have."

"We are going to fix all of this," promised Severus. "We will all team together to make sure that much of this is stopped and that your life is yours to live. You are an adult in the eyes of our world. You are a human being just like the rest of us and deserve to be treated as such. This will get better. Just let us do what we need to do to make most of this end. Life is always hard. Yours was harder than most due to the fact that no one bothered to help you with it. We now have the means to help you. So just relax and work on your lessons and let us deal with the outside world."

"Well said Severus," stated Sirius. "Thank you for your words. I had no way of putting what I was thinking and feeling into an articulate sentence. You have just spoken everything that I was trying to figure out how to say. Good work. I think these teens should at least have the rest of the day to be teens. No classes and no training today at least."

"I'll see to it immediately," promised Severus. "I think a good swim in the Prefect's bathroom and some music would go a long way to remind them that they are teens and that having fun is allowed."

With that, Severus took the teens back to Hogwarts. Harry was still troubled, but he slowly relaxed when Severus and Minerva created a beach themed party for them in the Prefect's bathroom. Soon, sounds of laughter and splashing could be heard as the Champions and their companions finally broke down and had some fun.


	11. Hide and Seek

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of cannon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 11 – Hide and Seek**

The following day, Sirius and the other adults responsible for the Champions and their friends sat the teens down for a serious heart to heart. Once the teens were settled, Sirius stood up and began his speech. He had spoken with everyone the night before concerning Harry's feelings and his thoughts regarding what was happening with his life. He couldn't blame his godson in the slightest for feeling like he was.

"It's time that we talked about how each and every one of you feels about things," stated Sirius looking at the teens. "We sometimes forget that you are all teens and need to be able to express yourselves. You may be more mature than most others your age, but you are still teens none the less. Harry's little outburst of emotions made me and the rest of your caregivers realize that we don't always take into consideration how you all feel."

"We have been pushing the lot of you hard due to what we feel is best," said Minerva. "For that, we apologize to each and every one of you. Your classes are advanced and because you were all doing so well, we just kept adding to it. We are going to slow down a bit and let you all have some down time. All of you except one is either OWL or NEWT students and we forgot that those two years in particular are harder than most."

"We have a new idea of how we are going to do things," explained Godric. "First and foremost, we are going to cut back on your muggle and non-magical training. One hour a day with me and two hours in the muggle world is tiring even for the fittest of the fit. Therefore, we are dropping my class to thirty minutes a day for swordsmanship. You will still have an hour with the Sensei, but you will only take shooting twice a week. While the physical aspect is important, so are your studies. We don't want to harm your learning for the physical side of things."

"You are all progressing very well in most areas," said Salazar. "We are almost in February. Therefore, until your OWL time comes, we will go with the less strenuous activities and concentrate on your learning aspects. We want you all to do well in your lessons and for your OWLS. Fred and George have things a little easier as they have fewer classes. However for those of you that is fifth year, we don't want to harm your good grades on your exams."

"We are not going to give you any more advanced lessons right now," said Rowena. "Maybe in a few weeks when your bodies and minds have a chance to breathe, we will pick things up again, but we will move at a slower pace for now. Don't forget that you all are welcome to stay in the castle this summer and continue your lessons then. I know that some of you will probably drop some of your classes so that you don't have to take them anymore. Muggle Studies and Wizarding Etiquette will not be required after an OWL. COMC is also not a required to go beyond OWL year. You are already not going to have to take HOM after this year as we are teaching you far more than Binns is. Astronomy is not a course that you need anything better than an EE in to get a career unless you are going to go for the job of professor or master in that subject. With Divination, either you can do it, or you can't. There is no real training that can be given."

"I'm going for a NEWT in the five core subjects and Arithmancy and Ancient Runes," said Harry. "Seven classes as compared to thirteen will be a whole lot easier to deal with. If I'm not mistaken, Draco and Hermione are going to do the same."

"I'm going for four of the five core subjects," said Susan while Hermione and Draco nodded at Harry's words. "I'm sorry, but I just don't like potions all that much. I do well and am passing, but I just don't want to try for a NEWT. I'll try for a COMC NEWT as well."

"I'm going for DADA, Charms, and Herbology for the core subjects," said Neville. "Potions are hard for me, and I just don't have an easy time in Transfiguration. Like Susan, I know I'm passing, but I just don't think I'll be able to handle the tougher course. Like Susan, I'll be going for a NEWT in COMC. I mainly want my mastery in herbology."

Minerva was busy writing it all down. Severus was busy encouraging the students to speak their mind and say what they wanted and didn't want. Sirius was beaming happily at everyone while they spoke their mind.

"I'm going to take the same classes as Susan except instead of Herbology, I'm going to go for a NEWT in potions provided I get the grade," explained Hannah. "We seem to be getting a well-rounded curriculum for the classes. Everyone is picking main ones and we are stopping our weaker ones. I would also like to go for a NEWT in Astrology. I like that class even if it is at night."

"Daphne and I are going to do the same as Harry, Draco, and Hermione," said Blaise speaking next. "We are good at what we do as well and I think that with so many of us working together that we can pass all seven of those classes with ease. We work well as a team and can get things done once we put our minds to it."

"Once you get past this year, things will get easier for you," explained Helga. "Then you can go back to two hours in the muggle world and one hour with Godric. You don't HAVE to learn to shoot a gun and you don't have to become an expert in handling a sword or martial arts. We want you to progress in your studies more. We also want you to learn things you would like to learn instead of always learning what we insist you learn."

"We also want you to start expressing your feelings with us," said Filius. "The more that you bottle up your feelings and let it eat at you, the more prone you are to making mistakes and hurting someone or yourself. You are all welcome to tell us how you feel as long as you are telling us in a manner that is both respectful and mature. Yelling at us will of course, upset us, but calmly telling us that you don't like something will not affect the way we treat you at any given time. If there is some sort of compromise that we can make, then we will do our best to assist you in coming up with a fair solution. We can't help you if you don't tell us what is going on."

"Harry had the right idea in some ways when he blew up the way he did in the courtroom the other day," said Augusta speaking next. "It made some people realize that just because he is Harry Potter doesn't mean he doesn't have the right to have some sort of private life. Now, Harry does have to understand that he IS an icon, but that doesn't mean that the Wizarding World has the right to control him or monitor his every move. He does have the right to go to Diagon Alley without being bombarded by people wanting something from him or from stopping him just because they are being a stalker and such."

"It would be the same as movie stars," rationalized Hermione. "Harry is popular for his accomplishments. He can't deny that he has done some amazing things since coming to Hogwarts or what has happened when he was a baby. He has done more in not quite five years that many adult witches and wizards have done in their entire life. HOWEVER, like a movie star, he has the right to privacy without being hounded just because he is who he is."

"I feel bad for exploding like I did, but I did mean what I said," stated Harry looking down. "I should not have to carry the weight of the Wizarding World on my shoulders. What Dumbledore and Voldemort did to me is inexcusable. They should never have used me in their power struggle. One took my parents and the other took my freedom. I am not a prisoner and I shouldn't be treated as such. Also, I'm not made out of glass. I would rather have someone tell me a harsh truth than to keep me in the dark about something that is hurting me when we can fix it."

"Well said Harry," said Narcissa. "Your life SHOULD be your own. We are here to help guide you in that. You are more than welcome to blow up and tell people to get a life and to look after their own affairs. The Ministry of Magic is responsible for stopping the Dark Lord. You are still a child, albeit, you are a mature child, but still a child none the less. You deserve to have fun and do things that the rest of your classmates do. Therefore, we are going to work on stopping as much of the paparazzi as we can. You are absolutely correct when you say that you are NOT a prisoner. We are going to ensure that you have some sort of freedom in your life to be able to do what you want and not what others dictate you have to do."

"Now that some of the problem people are out of the way, I can breathe a little easier," explained Harry. "I know that some of what happened was not that pleasant, but when it all boils down to it, you all took care of it and I didn't really have to do all that much. I still want whoever is publishing all of those books about my life sued. They have no right to do that. I also want the Daily Prophet to back off of me and stop slandering my name every chance they get. It's not only insulting, but it's childish."

"I already have your solicitor looking into the illegal franchising of your name," said Sirius. "You are correct when you say that they have no right to use your name in books and other merchandise while they are not even getting permission from you to do so. Some of these people have made a fortune using your name and you haven't received a Knut in exchange for it. Just give us some time to get it all taken care of. The Ministry is already censoring the Daily Prophet about you. Your name is not allowed to appear in the paper unless you give explicit permission for them to do so."

"The Quibbler has my permission as I own part of it as well as am engaged to the owner's daughter," said Harry with a grin. "Besides, Xenophilius doesn't write anything bad about me. I am rather amused as some of his stories about Fudge and some of the others that never get a good name in his book. I loved the story about Fudge baking goblins in pies. That was seriously funny."

Everyone started laughing at that. Each asked if Harry had a copy and he promised to let the others read his copy as he kept each installment of the Quibbler for his collection. The founders relaxed a little as the teens started to ease up and show some happy emotions. They let them carry on for a bit before they called their attention.

"Would you all like another history lesson tonight?" asked Rowena. "I have a few things still that I can teach you about my part in the creation of this school if you would like to hear about it."

That got the teens sobered up. Each looked delighted at the prospect of learning some more history in the making of the top magical school in Europe. The teens made their way to their desks and set their quills and parchment to writing.

"Tonight I'm going to tell you the story of how we got the centaur herd here in Scotland," she said when they were ready. "They are part of the defense of Hogwarts, in the aspect that they guard the forest from intruders. While some intruders do manage to get by them from time to time, it is hard and not often an occurrence. Centaurs are not originally from this area. As you may know from history and legend, they originated in Greece. Chiron is a notable centaur in history and legend. He is not a myth. He really did live a very long time ago. Anyway, I was traveling in Greece one year when I saw a couple of centaurs being harmed in the arena. I didn't much like what was being done to them and decided that I would intervene. I made a few magical inquiries and discovered that for a price, they could be rescued. Their captors were muggles and with a few waves of my wand, I got both of them for about ten sickles."

"Do you mean to say that they were going to kill those poor centaurs?" asked Hermione with shock on her face. "What kind of barbarians would do that to someone? So what if they are half horse. That doesn't mean they need to die or to be made sport of. Some people just make me want to punch them in the face for their stupidity."

"Easy Hermione," soothed Rowena. "You have to remember that a thousand years ago, people WERE barbarians in many places. Civilized people didn't start becoming popular until much later. Remember that we LIVED a thousand years ago. Like most witches and wizards, we lived to be a rather old age. This was when I was young, and let me tell you that Dumbledore is a child compared to us when we passed from this world to the next. A witch or wizard will have a long life depending on the amount of magic that their core has. I can tell you that Harry will outlive all of you by a considerable amount of years. His heritage and his magical core are larger than most adult witches and wizards. If I had to guess, he would probably live to be close to five hundred years old before his body gives out due to age."

Hermione took a deep breath and relaxed. She didn't want to make the same mistake with centaurs that she did with house elves. Dobby, Winky, and the elves of Hogwarts were treated very well by Harry, Susan, and Luna. They were part of the family. Even Kreacher popped in from time to time to see if Harry needed something. No one could say that centaurs were any different. She had seen the centaurs in the forest and they seemed content with their lives. She knew she had to let things run their course as they were supposed to. At least the centaurs were a people of their own and didn't necessarily adhere to the human doctrine that beings such as house elves did.

"Over the next decade or so, the four of us would go back to Greece and see if we could rescue any more centaurs," Rowena said picking up her tale. "We would try and buy them if we could. If we couldn't, we would use magic and to be blunt, we would steal them. Once here near the castle, we would set them free in the forest to join family or friends that they may have had at one point. We didn't want them to die any more than Hermione or Harry would. We did what we had to do to save the species from becoming extinct. Now in the more modern world, we don't have to worry about that. The herd that lives in the Forbidden Forest is healthy and active. From time to time, we may ask you all to go and talk with them to get a prospective from their point of view. While not forthcoming in their information, centaurs are highly intelligent. If you know how to get around their evasiveness, you could learn many things from them."

"Before we allow you to do that, we have a serious problem in the forest," said Salazar. "Hagrid procured an acromantula spider egg when he was in school. When Riddle framed him for the death of Myrtle, Aragog escaped and went to live in the forest. With his kind heart, Hagrid got a female for Aragog and they have children all over the forest. They do NOT belong here. They belong in Brazil where their kind is worked with as easily as we work with unicorns. Therefore, we need to go through the forest and send the spiders back home. Aragog and his wife may stay as both are too old to have more children. However, the rest need to leave before they wipe out all life in the forest. The centaurs are battling nonstop to keep the spiders from taking over. We don't want to eradicate the species, but they don't belong here. It wouldn't be hard for Riddle to come here and cause them to come into the human habitation surrounding the castle. That would mean death to any that the spiders bite."

"While they are not quite as poisonous as a basilisk, their venom can still kill you within moments," explained Severus. "There are potions to counter the venom, but you would have to carry one on you at all times for it to be effective. Due to their size, the amount of venom flowing in your system would kill you within thirty seconds. During that time, they could literally take off your appendages. This is why they need to go back to their original habitat in South America. They train people to work with the spiders there. We don't have that luxury here."

"Maybe we can hire a squad of trained individuals from South America to come and take the spiders back to their natural home," suggested Harry looking at the Ministry personnel. "If their prices aren't too high, I would be more than willing to donate to the cause. We don't want something as lethal as an acromantula to become a liability to us or an asset to the Dork Lord."

"That is something that we can look into," stated Sirius writing it down on his list. "We can see about getting it done as soon as we can. Now, I know that many of you have homework to do, so why doesn't the lot of you head to wherever you need to go to get your work done. We don't want you to get a poor grade for not completing it."

"Like any of us would ever get a poor grade for not having homework turned in," snorted Harry. "You forget that we have Severus for a tutor and Hermione for a tower mate. Between the two, we don't get a moment's rest about things like homework."

"Harry James Potter," said Hermione and Severus at the same time. "You had better start running. You are SOOOO going to get it for that comment. I'll teach you a lesson about saying things like that about me and Severus. I'll hex you into next year. If it weren't for us, you would probably not want to study at all. We are SOOO unappreciated."

Laughing, Harry raced from the tower with his book bag on his arm towards the library. Hermione was hot on his heels with Severus not far behind. Minerva and Filius were turning blue from their hard laughter. Luna was also looking amused at the banter between them. Draco and Susan sighed as they headed out to make sure that Severus and Hermione didn't do too much damage to Harry. When they got to the hall, they stopped as Severus and Hermione were busy holding a shaking Harry. It was obvious that nothing happened to him from Hermione and Severus as both were seriously concerned for him. His eyes were glazed over and glowing. It looked like he was having a seizure. He and Susan swiftly made their way to the trio.

"Voldemort, Bellatrix, and Rookwood are all on the grounds," whispered Harry quietly to them. "Get everyone else together. If we do this right, we can get the last Horcrux and I can get his wand. We have to do this as quickly and quietly as possible so that we can stop him from killing any of the students. Their safety is more important than anything else at this time."

The three teens raced back to the Tower to find that Luna was in an almost identical state as Harry was in. She was busy passing on information to the others who were listening with rapt attention. Harry was led back into the tower by Severus and the group quickly started to make plans.

"I can lower the wards long enough for Amelia to go and get some Aurors," said Harry. "I can limit it to this room. From there, we need to get all of the students into their dorms with every teacher available to protect them. As there are so few people attacking the castle, we can make sure that we beat them once and for all. There is no way that I can kill Tom, but we can make sure he loses what he values most of all."

"Let's do like we did last time and get all of the house elves to gather the students and bring them back to their dorms," suggested Susan. "From there, we can get the teachers to join them in each common room while we handle the intruders. We can use the secret tunnels to get around without being seen. We just need to know what our main objective is and how we are going to go about doing it."

"The sad part is we will lose some of the student body before we can make our move," said Luna. "Some of the Slytherins are already on their way to meet him to assist in the taking over of the school. If we are going to do this, we need to move now and get this over with. The longer we take, the more difficult it will be for us to succeed. If we work now, we can accomplish what Harry needs to do before we evict the trespassers into the arms of the Aurors or just off the grounds period. I would like to see the two Death Eaters arrested."

"Minerva, you, Luna, and Hermione will work on getting the students that are not on their way to Tom back to their common rooms," instructed Harry. "Filius, you will work with Draco and see about getting your hands on Nagini. Kill her with anything that you can use. Susan, you, Narcissa, and Augusta will work on bringing in Rookwood. Neville, you, Amelia, Daphne and Blaise will work on keeping Bellatrix occupied. Severus, Sirius, and me will go after the Dark Lord. Fred and George, you and Hannah will work with the professors to keep the students safe and act as runners. Get some of the incoming Aurors to help you. Your knowledge of the tunnels will come in handy in keeping information passing back and forth. Hannah, I also need you to get the house elves to start abducting the dark students and have them locked into a room they can't escape from until the fruition of this fight. If you finish your duties, then help out another team with theirs. Let's get this over with."

"Harry lower the wards in this room so that the Aurors can come in," said Minerva. "I'll quietly put the school in lockdown. The more we can get the students to safety the better it will be. I want all of you to be careful. Our biggest goal is to get the Dark Lord and his minions out of the castle. Also, if we can get to the snake, we will have one more problem solved for us."

While Minerva began the lockdown as Headmistress, Harry lowered the wards carefully on the tower. Amelia turned on the spot and apparated away. Within moments, ten pops could be heard as Moody and a contingent of Aurors came into the room. Harry let the wards snap back into place as he and his team grabbed Tonks and moved out.

They entered the tunnels and separated depending on where they were going. Those that needed the help of the elves went to the kitchens and quickly explained what was going on. The elves all nodded their heads in understanding and soon enough, pops could be heard as the just over one hundred elves got busy with their task. Hannah quickly made her way to Hufflepuff Tower and demanded that all students not a prefect to head to their dorms. She stated that as many as could fit into one dorm room would be best. Prefects were told from there that they were to keep the students calm and collect while the rest of the professors and the Champions worked on stopping the threat to their lives. From there, she went to the other dorms and did the same.

It wasn't long before the students that were not to be abducted and moved were in their safety sections. The professors were quickly told what was going on as those that were there to stop the problem moved quickly around the castle to attempt to capture the Dark Lord, two servants, and the snake. Harry was using his gift to guide him to where the Dark Lord was. He watched as Bellatrix and Voldemort had a few words before she went off on her own.

"Go down to the Slytherin dorms and get the children of our followers," he had told her. "Once you have them, I want you to bring them to the entrance hall and defend them. With the old fool out of the castle, it is powerless to stop us. The more minions we have, the sooner we can have a little fun."

She nodded before she left. Harry sent a message to the others to let them know where she was going. Harry used his gifts and watched as Amelia, Daphne, Neville, and Blaise grabbed a few Aurors and went to head her off. From there, he watched as Susan, Narcissa, and Augusta went off to challenge Rookwood. Time was of the essence. Nagini was already slithering away to look for prey. Harry just hoped that she would go off by herself long enough for Filius and Draco to kill her.

Harry waited with baited breath as Voldemort took a leisurely stroll through the empty corridors. He could tell by the facial expression on the Dark Lord's face that the man knew something wasn't quite right. Harry followed him in the walls until he knew that there would be a safe place to come out and challenge him. He also knew that he had to keep Voldemort occupied long enough for the other teams to succeed in their missions. Harry looked at Sirius and Severus and his eyes lit up in a mischievous smirk.

"A marauder and the one man strong enough to stand up to the four of them," hissed Harry in glee. "With me being the heir of two founders, we can have a little fun at his expense. How would the two of you like to help me drive him to slight paranoia? I promise that we can make it fun and we will be able to keep him occupied for as long as we need."

"Do tell me what sort of devious plan that you are concocting in that mind of yours," said Severus with interest. "It would be an honor to work with you and Sirius rather than against you. I have my own pound of flesh that I want to get off that fiend for what he did to me and some of my friends over the years."

"You have my interest as well," admitted Sirius. "Severus was always fun due to him making us actually work for everything we did. He was a good sport and a well learned opponent in school. With your statuses and our experience, we can drive the fool insane."

"Well," said Harry fighting to not giggle. "We ARE in the walls. He doesn't know that the school has all of these tunnels. We not only know about them, but we know how to navigate them as we have been doing it all year. We also know that other than him, I am the only known parselmouth in this part of the world. We can do the same thing to him that the basilisk did in my second year. He can hear the voice, but can't do much about it. Even with all of his powerful spells, Hogwarts will not be harmed by him. She will absorb all of his magic. Let's drive him crazy by hearing a serpent in the walls."

"Oh wow," said Severus really impressed. "That is a great idea and I know exactly how Sirius and I can assist you. Stay here and keep an eye on him. I want to get a few potions from my lab. Sirius can help you by casting the magic on your voice for you so that you sound more like a serpent rather than a human. This will leave you able to not only use the wards, but other stuff as well. I'll be back in a few moments."

With that, Severus left the section they were hiding in. Salazar appeared next to Harry and Sirius and was told what they were planning. The founder totally approved of the idea and was able to give Sirius a few hints as to how to help Harry. He also told the duo that the other founders were with the other teams offering advice and tips on how to survive their portion of the tasks. Sirius listened intently to Salazar and did the spells needed on Harry. Harry went into torture mode and began his work.

"AH! The idiot pretend heir has arrived," hissed Harry while Sirius made the voice float to different parts of the walls surrounding the hall Voldemort was walking in. In the castle, others heard the hissing of the snake and most knew that Harry was up to his task. "What would the Great Salazar Slytherin say to see his supposed distant relative walking around in such a manner? I can tell you. He would be disappointed in you for your failure to uphold the family traditions. You never took the time to learn the truth about the founder of your house."

"Whose there?" asked Voldemort pulling out his wand and looking around trying to find the source of the voice. "Is that you Potter? I will make you sorry you were ever born when I catch you. Your death will enable me to live forever. Come out and show yourself and die with honor and dignity."

"Going to kill one of your hosts?" hissed Harry again. "Did you know you made him a host when you tried to kill him? I can sense these things. You made a huge mistake that night. Instead of killing him, you made him into something that you should really value. Salazar would be so disappointed that you are trying to kill one of his children."

"What do you mean?" hissed Voldemort starting to get paranoid at not finding the voice. "I'm the last of his line. He doesn't have any more children other than me. I am the heir and only descendant."

"Oh how wrong you are about that," hissed Harry from a different part of the corridor, or so it sounded. "Harry Potter is the youngest and strongest of the clan. His line is directly descended without the taint of muggles in it. Can you say the same about yours Tom Morvolo Riddle Jr.? I don't think that you can. You are nothing while Harry Potter is a pureblood. You are the byproduct of a squib and a muggle."

"You lie," screamed Voldemort casting a spell at the walls only to watch them dissipate and not do any harm. "Where are you? You can't fight me as I'm a wizard and you sound like a disemboweled ghost. I have more rights in this castle than anyone else. I'm one of the few heirs walking the planet and none of them have a strong claim to the castle."

"Wrong, wrong, wrong," hissed Harry with Sirius projecting his voice all around in an echoing manner. "There are three inside of Hogwarts that are in full control of her and the wards. I know who they are, and I can promise you that their claim is stronger than yours. A bloodline of all four is in the three teens in the castle and they are powerful individuals. Two have one and the third has two. I can tell you who they are if you want. It will cost you a price, but I can tell you. Beware the Champions Tom Riddle. Beware the Champions."

By this time, Filius and Draco arrived with the head of Nagini in a box. Harry and Sirius silently congratulated the men on their success. Harry stopped long enough to allow Filius explain what they did.

"She was just wandering around," admitted Filius. "It wasn't that hard to come out of the mirror and use a Cutting Hex to sever her head from her body. In fact, I'm rather disappointed at how easy it was. She didn't even realize we were there until she lost her head. What are you doing here?"

"We are driving the Dark Lord crazy," explained Severus walking up. "I have the potions I need to make the illusions. Filius, you are a master in Charms. I need you to help me make phantasms come out of these potions. Harry is already hard at work driving him mad with anger with the taunts. You can hear them all over the castle Harry. All of our allies know what's going on. Keep going! You are doing an excellent job."

Harry grinned and thought of what he wanted to say next. The Dark Lord was already screaming and not making much sense, and Harry decided to make a jab at his skill, knowledge, maturity, and intelligence.

"Ah yes!" hissed Harry while Sirius moved his voice around. "You are in your seventies and you are throwing a temper tantrum that would make Ronald Weasley look like an innocent little boy. Why don't you throw yourself on the floor and pound it with your fists? That would make the ensemble complete don't you think? Do you want the names of the heirs or don't you? My time is valuable and you are wasting it. Knowledge is power and I have the intelligence needed to pass all of this information to Harry Potter."

Voldemort was seeing red. He was firing hexes in between his screams of outrage. He knew that somewhere, someone was doing something, but his magic seemed ineffectual against the walls of the ancient castle. The more he listened to the voice the more be wanted to curse the creature or person to death. Meanwhile, Severus and Filius got together and made their move. When the Dark Lord turned away, Severus opened the mirror slightly and threw the potion into the corridor. Filius used his wand to cast certain grotesque charms into the fumes and watched as horrible disfigured people and creatures came out of the fumes and started to walk towards the Dark Lord.

Voldemort thought he heard a noise behind him. While he was trying to deny the voice, something happened that almost made him jump in fright. Fearful looking creatures were already making their way towards him. He tried using his magic to banish them or kill them, but found that he was unable to do any of that. His magic may be strong, but Filius was a master at what he was doing. The castle was also working with the occupants of the castle and not the Dark Lord.

By now, Voldemort was beginning to panic. He knew he was a powerful wizard, but he also knew he was having trouble fighting whatever this was in front of him. Severus and Filius made their way through the tunnels and came up behind the Dark Lord. With a well-placed spell, they made the corridor fill with smoke that was so thick that you couldn't see through it. Harry ceased his torment of the Dark Lord and watched with interest as the fog blinded the man in the corridor, but didn't affect him. He knew that it was his ability to work with the wards as well as his seer abilities that gave him the upper advantage.

While Severus and Filius were busy doing what they were doing, Salazar had Draco open the mirror and throw out Nagini's head to her master. Draco carefully opened the mirror and did as he was instructed. He took aim, and with the help of his wand, he made sure the head hit Voldemort squarely in the face. When the Dark Lord realized what hit him, he started casting every known spell he knew at the walls. Harry waited while the Dark Lord cast all sorts of magic in all directions. He used the help of Sirius and made sure that his voice surrounded him as he continued to taunt the Dark Lord.

"Would you look at that," hissed Harry. "Another Horcrux is dead, dead, dead. Salazar knew you made seven of them. One question remains. Will you try and kill Harry Potter? He is a Horcrux. The locket has been cleaned and returned to the heir. The Diadem has been cleaned and returned to its heir. The Diary was destroyed thanks to a blunder by Lucius. The cup has been cleaned and returned to its rightful owner. The snake is dead. The ring is in possession of Harry Potter. What are you going to do now?"

"That is not possible," hissed Voldemort in confusion as he concentrated on reaching out to his anchors. "I made sure they were in locations that they couldn't be gotten too. There is no way you are correct in this."

Harry used the cover of the fog and stepped into the corridor. Sirius had draped the cloak over him and knew that Harry couldn't be seen and most moderate hexes wouldn't hurt him. Harry waited until Voldemort was very engrossed in his search before he lifted the Elder wand and cast one small spell silently. Once he cast the Disarming Spell, Voldemort screamed in shock and rage as his wand vanished into thin air. Harry had opened his cloak long enough to catch the wand before he sealed it again. With a few deft motions, he immersed himself into the wards and with a quick command, he sent the Dark Lord out of the castle and away from the students.

During all of this time, Narcissa and Susan led Augusta through the tunnels. They kept a close eye on Rookwood. They could see the panic in the man's eyes as he heard the hissing that was driving the Dark Lord to the brink of insanity. Susan quickly told the other two that it was Harry making the noise and that he was busy tormenting the Dark Lord. Narcissa had to stifle a giggle that was threatening to come out of her mouth at the thought of her cousin and Harry teaming up with Severus and Salazar to drive what little sanity the man had away.

Bringing her mind back to the task at hand, they watched closely as Rookwood was trying to hide in the shadows to avoid detection. If the man hadn't been so terrified of what he was hearing, he would have realized that it was already common knowledge that he was there. Everyone in the castle knew what was going on as they could hear Harry. While they couldn't understand what he was saying, they knew from the screams of the Dark Lord that it wasn't fun for him.

Rookwood was trying to get to some of the students. He knew from reports from his master where some of the dorms were. He was currently working on trying to get into the Hufflepuff dorm rooms. Narcissa, Augusta, Susan, and their Auror companions, quickly stopped that from happening by preventing him from even getting into the common room. Using a trick that Harry was doing, they made the man so paranoid with their illusions and gimmicks that he eventually fainted from fright. He was already terrified listening to the sounds of his master scream at what appeared to be a ghostly snake. While he wasn't a coward, the man wasn't that brave when it came to fighting something he couldn't see. If his master couldn't handle it, then he knew he couldn't. So when the ladies started their own pranks on the man, his mind went blank and he hit the floor.

When the man came around, he quickly took in his surroundings. When he realized that he had been duped, he became angry. They hadn't bothered to check him for his spare wand as he could feel it on his other forearm. He quickly summoned the wand and spoke the words of the Killing Curse. However, Susan has noticed his movement and cast a spell to intercept it. As the two spells collided, the Killing Curse deflected back to its castor. Rookwood was so surprised that he didn't move in time to avoid being his with his own spell. He died before he even hit the floor for the second time that evening. Everything happened so quickly that many didn't realize that anything was wrong until Rookwood was seen dead on the floor. Narcissa and Augusta were busy consoling Susan. She now knew what Harry felt like when he felt he was a murderer. She didn't cast the spell that killed the man, but she felt responsible none the less.

"You didn't do anything wrong," stated Augusta rubbing her back as she sobbed. "He was trying to kill us. All you did was cast a defending spell. It isn't your fault that his own spell killed him. You actually saved our lives. You stopped him from killing one of us. That makes you a hero and NOT a murderer. I can't know what you are going through, but I can relate as it's now my job to send people through the veil should justice warrant it. Everything will be alright. Just give yourself time to cry and you will be better soon. I promise that no one thinks anything less of you for what happened."

"I now know how Harry felt with Professor Quirrell in first year," she said. "It wasn't his fault that the man couldn't touch him due to the protections from his mother. Harry had to hold on to him to save his own life. I know for a fact that he felt like I do now and he was much younger. I don't know how he handles so much of this. He has everything riding on his shoulders and he makes it look so easy. I just don't understand how we can make things better for him."

"We already are," said Helga. "He does what he has to do, because he doesn't want anyone else to have those burdens. However, with each passing day and with each lesson we give, he understands that he doesn't have to do it alone. Thanks to Draco and Filius completing their task, anyone can get lucky and hit him with a spell that will kill him. If I know Harry, Sirius, and Severus, they are only annoying him while they figure out how to get his wand."

The ladies heard Harry's voice stop. They also heard the screams from the Dark Lord stop as well. It was then that Salazar appeared and told the group that two of the other teams had succeeded in their mission. Nagini was dead and Harry had the Dark Lord's wand. The other good news was that Voldemort was sent outside of the wards of the school and Harry was working to make sure he couldn't get back in. With that news, the group headed to see if they could help the last group get their victory. They knew that Bellatrix was a stubborn and powerful witch and that Amelia and her group would need all the help they could get to bring her down.

Amelia, Alistair, Minerva, Neville, and Blaise all hid themselves in the shadows near the entrance to the Slytherin common room. They knew that it wouldn't be long before the most feared witch alive today would be there. It was already common knowledge that the students she was seeking were safely locked in their current prison. They also knew that she wouldn't be able to get into the common room as Harry had the wards working with him to prevent it. Being sentient, Hogwarts was assisting her champions as well.

It wasn't long before the witch in question put in her appearance. The battle that occurred shortly after was epic if over a little quickly. Bellatrix was skilled and no one would ever be able to claim she wasn't. However, when you were in a place where portkeys, apparition, and other means of leaving an area were denied you, even the most battle hardened warrior would fall to the increasing challengers. She wasn't going to go down without a fight. In the first couple of minutes, she had Daphne and Blaise out of the fight with harsh cuts and broken bones. Amelia, Minerva, and Alistair surrounded her to take her out of the picture once and for all. At the time, Bella didn't see Neville standing there studying her movements. She weaved in and out of her attackers with grace that was impressive even if it was lethal. She was successful in her defense from his fellow students. She was also successful in her attempts to keep the Headmistress, Senior Undersecretary, and Head Auror from getting to her.

She was seriously making a huge mistake in thinking that it was all she had to do. She was so determined to get her job done that she forgot the most important rules when engaging the enemy. She neglected to make sure she had an escape route as well as to make sure that there wasn't a hidden enemy somewhere nearby. So focused was she that she didn't see Neville come up behind her and cast a spell to make her fall to the floor. His stunner was so powerful and so close that she didn't even have time to comprehend what was going on before she was down for the count.

Moody was busy congratulating Neville when they noticed that Bella had recovered and fired a shot that killed Moody. Anger was coursing through her blood as she wanted the Longbottom heir to join his parents.

"I'll get you baby Longbottom," she hissed as she went on the offensive. "St. Mungo's Hospital will have another dead weight patient before long. Once things quiet down, I may be merciful and come put the three of you out of your misery. Your grandmother should be used to losing family members by now."

Neville didn't even rise to the bait of her taunt. He heard Harry stop speaking. He also heard the shouts of the Dark Lord stop. He knew that it wouldn't be long before the cavalry arrived to assist in the situation. He wasn't wrong. As Bellatrix went to cast the Cruciatus Curse on Neville, the point of the Sword of Gryffindor appeared covered in blood before their eyes. As she looked down, she could see the point coming out of her abdomen. As she looked around, she saw the anger and power radiating from the man named Harry James Potter. He killed her to defend his brother in all but blood. As she took her dying breath, he leaned over and told her one last sentence before her life left.

"You will be joined by him before long," he hissed at her.

Pulling the sword out of her body, he dropped the weapon on the floor and promptly turned to empty the contents of his stomach all over the corridor. Augusta and Narcissa quickly rushed in and with the aide of Amelia and Minerva, they quickly took control of the situation.

"Harry look at me," said Sirius holding his godson's head as the young mage cried. "You did what you had to do. This is war, and death is inevitable. We lost Moody this night due to lack of attention. You managed to take out of play one of the most vicious people that is within the ranks of Voldemort. I wish that you didn't have to do that, but she would have hurt Neville beyond anything that we could help him with. She killed Moody and he was an able fighter. You put an end to her reign of terror."

"I still took a life," said Harry as he turned and threw up again. "I killed her. This will make me a bad person. I don't want to be a bad person."

"Nor will you be," said Salazar. "Listen to what Sirius is telling you. You did what needed to be done. It isn't easy to take a life. If you find that you don't care if someone dies or not, then you should worry about becoming dark. This has been a very bloody night. People die in war. You are not the first, nor will you be the last to take a life during a time of war. It happens. You need to put this behind you and move on. It WILL be hard. That is what we are here for. We will help you through this. Young Susan also feels like you feel now. She blocked a spell that caused Rookwood to die. It happens during a war."

"Why don't you let Severus take you to the tower and the rest of the teens that are with you can make sure that both you and Susan are taken care of," suggested Rowena. "Luna should be with you and we will allow here to stay with you all night. Just go and get some rest. If you need to cry, then do so. If you need to scream, do that as well. However, DON'T let this make you feel any less of a human being. Things like this happen all the time. You are no exception to the rule in this. It is what it is, as the current muggle saying goes. You have to go with it as well. You will bounce back. You have other things that you need to do before this war is done. I can't promise that it will get any easier. It won't. However, it does need to be done."

With that, Severus led the teens back to their tower. Luna was waiting for them as was Hermione and a few others. Together, they sat with Harry and Susan and let them cry themselves out until they fell asleep. Severus levitated Harry up to his room and with a flick of his wand, changed him into comfortable sleeping attire. Luna came in a few minutes later and climbed into bed with Harry. With a wave of her wand, she doused the lights and wrapped herself around Harry. Meanwhile, Pomona was doing the same with Susan. Once she had the sleeping teen comfortable, Draco came in and did the same thing for Susan that Luna was doing for Harry. He vowed to be there for her during the night if she couldn't sleep or had a bad dream.

Around the tower, the other students were released from their areas and told to try and get some sleep. The few teens that were intent of joining the Dark Lord were questioned extensively by the Auror department. When all was said and done, all seven students were arrested and sent to holding cells to await further decisions about their futures. The bodies of Rookwood and Bellatrix were taken out of the castle while Poppy did what she needed to do for Moody.

During the night, Harry sat there once he woke and just stared off into space while he thought about what needed to be done and what he, as a dual heir, had to so to ensure that the safety of the school was seen to.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – This is a good a place as any to stop. I hope you like what I did to the Dark Lord. I had a sudden burst of mischief inspiration hit and decided to mess with him while getting a few other things done in the process. Thanks for all of your support.


	12. Hiding in the Light

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 12 – Hiding in the Light**

The days after the attack went by rather quickly for those in the Champion's Tower. Hermione had created study schedules for all OWL students to use. Harry looked over and decided that she had the right idea. He wanted to do well on his tests just as much as everyone else. He would sit like each person and study each night.

Godric called Harry aside for a while and talked with him. Being the curious person that he was, Harry agreed to train with Godric each evening for a little while to see what the Founder had to offer.

"I'm going to work with you personally as you can already do certain things," stated Godric while the others listened in on the conversation. "Being able to cast wandless will give you an advantage over some opponents. What I want to teach you is something that will shock your opponent even more. Due to the fact that your sword is imbibed with basilisk venom, you will have an easy time with the lessons that I'm going to give you. You are already skilled with your sword. I can make you even better."

"What sort of lessons are you going to give to me?" asked Harry with curiosity. "With OWLS starting in May and it being March now, we still need to study and work on our normal lessons. All extracurricular activities are only being done when we have time. I have even stopped my gun lessons. Thankfully, I only have a few more of those classes before I get my license and gun. I can work on those on the weekends and get it out of the way."

"You are going to learn how to use the sword like you would a wand," stated Godric and watched as Harry's face became alit with excitement and interest. "Being able to cast wandless is difficult for most witches and wizards. However, it isn't impossible. It just isn't done as often, as people prefer to channel through a wand. In the centuries since we have died, the usage of wands has become the most important thing for everyone. We are already teaching the lot of you different and are making progress in it. You are just more advanced due to your lineage and power."

By now, the rest of the tower was listening with extreme interest to this. Some had already passed their gun lessons and were licensed. Harry was an exception as he was working on more classes than most. He was also working with Helga to get his and Luna's seer abilities to work upon command. While the two used their gifts, they were learning how to call them up at a moment's notice instead of just when there was danger present. Harry was also studying some of his family's books to see about more defenses for the castle. Therefore, he was already doing work that would take him to eleven at night and sometimes later. He was determined to keep going with his muggle defense lessons as well as his swordsmanship lessons.

"The ability to channel your magic through an item depends on the person," stated Godric going into teacher mode. "Harry is already quite adept at casting wandless and in most cases, nonverbally. Therefore, he just has to train his mind to use the sword instead of a wand. I used to cast using the sword all the time when I was alive. Not only did it give me an advantage, but it would throw off my attackers when the sword would do simple things like glow or emit sparks."

"So what you are saying is that I can have an advantage over just about every witch and wizard alive due to the fact that I have an easier time casting wandless," summarized Harry. "I can channel my magic through the sword and use it as an edge in battle with my enemies. Before we start those lessons, I would prefer to wait until summer. It isn't that I don't appreciate you wanting to help me, but I already have so much going on right now with all of the studying and such."

"We can wait," acknowledge Godric with a smile. "You are in no rush to do any of this. You have the skills you need already imbedded within yourself. You just have to teach yourself how to open them up. With your lessons with Severus in Occlumency, you should be able to use the same techniques to look into your core and command your magic to do what you want. It's the same principle as casting wandless. Instead of it coming out of your hand, you basically have to get it to pass through the sword. It's isn't that difficult."

"Give it a rest Godric," said Rowena with her hands on her hips. "He has just asked you to wait until summer. You are pushing again. He already has too much on his plate. Now back off and let him do what he needs to do or I will make you. You are already teaching these teens everything they need to know about DADA. Between Filius and me, they are already learning at a seventh year level in Charms. Just give it a rest. They need to pass their OWLS and I won't have you pestering them to learn more on top of everything else they are learning."

Godric grinned as he faded out of sight. An upset Rowena was never a good thing. Even dead, she was a fierce woman to challenge. The teens all grinned at the exchange between the founders. Harry started laughing when Godric faded out instead of having her continue to go off on him.

"Heart of a lion," said Harry once he got through his laughter. "Even a ghost that has been dead for a millennium is scared of a woman when she is upset with them. I'm just glad that I learned at an early age to avoid upsetting people in general. I do have to say that all of the advanced lessons in DADA and Charms have been beneficial. I know we could probably sit our NEWTS in both subjects, but I rather enjoy the lessons. Being taught the real stuff instead of Ministry controlled stuff is loads better for us when we graduate. Maybe once things quiet down a bit more, we can get the Ministry to change their ideas about what we are allowed to learn and such. It would be beneficial for everyone to be able to know what we are learning. It could save our lives someday. Voldemort isn't the only Dark Lord in history and I doubt that he will be the last."

After that evening, the lessons quieted down for the teens in the tower. Each one that resided in the tower had their noses pressed to the books in an effort to insure they passed their exams. Harry finally passed his test at the shooting range and was able to not only get his license, but a permit which allowed him to carry a gun on his person, like those that had already passed.

One evening, almost a month later, Harry was wondering the castle with Luna when the two of them came across a section of the castle that looked like it hadn't been traversed in many years by the amount of dust on the floor. They also could tell that no one came near this area as there was a lack of footprints in the dust.

"Apparently Filch never came to this area to clean," stated Harry. "I wonder where this hall goes. It seems to be filled with magical power. I don't remember any of the founders telling us about a hidden hall filled with magic. It must be something that they were going to tell us later. I'll have to remember to ask them about it. I would love to learn what this means."

"That it does and I will tell you," said Helga appearing next to them. "This castle was built on a magical node. It's the main reason we chose this area. In the British Isles, this node is the most powerful of them all. In fact, I would go on to say that it is in the top five of powerful nodes in the world."

"Does this mean that the node is powering the castle and such?" asked Harry with his normal intellect. "Is this node what gives the castle the ability to maintain so many spells that are aimed wrong and such?"

"You are absolutely right," said Rowena coming up with Susan. "As the new owners of the castle, it is your job to maintain the wards that prevent people from coming down here to tap into the node. If the node is drained, then the wards will fall. If that happens, then the castle will collapse. It is very possible that the node will explode and cause massive destruction to this area."

"We already have wards on this and we have been successful in keeping this area hidden from prying eyes," stated Salazar. "However, now that there are living heirs present once more that are trustworthy, we can turn that over to you. It isn't that difficult to power the wards. It falls in the same principle as powering the wards on the castle itself. All you have to do is give it a bit of energy. Only those of our bloodline will ever be able to even come near this area. It is why people like Filch never came here to clean. He never even knew this part of the castle exists. The new cleaning lady doesn't know about this area either. We designed the wards to act like repellents to those that are not of our blood."

"Then how did you hide this from Tom Riddle?" asked Harry. "He is of the blood and he was here in the castle for seven years not counting his escapades during the years and such. Why didn't he find this place?"

"While he carries the name he doesn't carry the blood," explained Salazar. "Yes he does in fact have Slytherin blood in his veins, but his mother was barely above squib status and his father was a muggle. While Tom is powerful, MY blood is nonexistent in his veins. YOU are the TRUE heir. He was never an HEIR. He just has the name. We did say that only heirs could access this section of the castle."

"Yes you did," said Harry blushing. "I have so much going on in my mind that my attention level is all over the place. OWLS are just a couple of weeks away and we have been pushing as hard as we can to learn everything. I have another question for you. During the summer, can we go to one of your secondary learning facilities and continue with our training? While I enjoy staying here in the castle, I am starting to get itchy feet. I would love to go and see something new and exciting."

"We are going to start making sure that your living caretakers start doing things away from the castle so that you can have some fun," assured Rowena. "The twins are going to be graduating so they will be able to do whatever they wish. More than likely, they will open their joke shop and start working in it. You are the only one that doesn't have a blood family they can go to. Sirius is family, but once more it is distant. While he is your guardian, he will be busy. Even though the school closes for a couple of months, the Ministry doesn't. Therefore, we will work with others that are staying in this area that will help us by taking you on activities such as dinner parties, amusement parks, theaters, and other activities. No one wants you to feel like a prisoner. You are anything but. We just have to watch you closer as, Tom is still out there and he can cause trouble for you if you aren't careful."

"We better get topside," said Harry suddenly stopping the explanation. "Aberforth Dumbledore is on the grounds and I think he wants to speak with us. I think we had better go and see what he wants. Minerva is currently hosting him in her office. My gift as a Seer is telling me that he wishes to speak with the heirs about something."

The others nodded and as a group, they headed up to the Head office. Upon reaching the gargoyle sentinels, they moved to allow Harry and his party to venture up. Harry knocked on the door frame and waited for permission to enter. Minerva waved them in and waited while they got comfortable.

"It seems that you have something that you wish to tell us," stated Harry looking at the older wizard. "What is it that we can do for you? As current head of your house, I would be willing to assist you provided your requests aren't outrageous. You were dismissed from the family for your previous criminal activities."

"I have come to prove loyalty to the Champions," began Aberforth. "I received a letter from Albus this morning. He has escaped prison from the goblins and he is looking for a way to gain back the titles he had before you had him arrested and sentenced. He stated that he wanted my help as I owed him for his help during my time that I was in trouble with the law. I didn't know what else to do, so I immediately came here when the patrons of my establishment thinned out enough for me to close the place down."

"We better get Sirius and Amelia here," mumbled Harry. "They are going to want to know this bit of information. The sooner the Ministry of Magic knows what's going on, the sooner they can begin the manhunt. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to get a hold of Ragnok and Griphook. We can have them come here as well. We want all parties and teams on the same page. Giving warning to Durmstrang and Beauxbatons probably would be a good idea as well. They are also bastions of magical power due to them being schools."

Minerva nodded as she got to work informing everyone as to what was going on. It wasn't long before Sirius was asking for permission for him and Amelia to step through. Soon after, Harry raised his hands and allowed Ragnok and Griphook to enter the grounds. Draco went to greet the goblins and soon he was back with the pair. Both were furious that the old man had escaped their clutches.

"I want it known that we found out how he escaped," said Ragnok with an angry hiss. "He bribed a goblin overseer with money from your vaults to help him in his escape. We found that money was taken from your main family vault. Some of it went with Dumbledore when he escaped, and the rest was the payment that was given to the goblin."

"We want you to know that all money has been returned already," said Griphook with a feral grin. "Not only did we get what the goblin took, but Dumbledore is probably much wondering where the money he had taken went. As for the goblin that was part of his escape, he has been beheaded and his family is being held as prisoners for the breach in trust. Said goblin's vaults have been turned over to Lord Potter as further punishment. In OUR society, we don't tolerate thieves. They are dealt with harsher than what our human counterparts do."

"Thank you for your timely actions in securing my vaults," stated Harry. "I'm sorry that his family is being held accountable as well, but I have no authority to go against what the doctrines of the goblin nation state. I guess now, we have to decide how we are going to deal with Dumbledore's escape. I have no doubt that he has managed to get most of his magical power back if the bracelets were taken off."

"There is one way for you to stop the old man," said Rowena looking thoughtful at Harry. "As he is the one that has done so much to you, the goblins and the Ministry have made you Head of House of the Dumbledore name. It is automatic that you get the spot when they are found guilty of crimes of the nature that Dumbledore was accused. Therefore, you can act as Head of House to do something that will stop him slightly."

"What can I do to Dumbledore that would make him even less powerful than he is now?" asked Harry with curiosity. "I can see by the look on Sirius' face that what you are saying is true and that I'm the Head of the Dumbledore Family. I have already taken the Elder Wand from him and I have the other two pieces that go with it. What more can I do to him that hasn't already been done. I don't want to have to worry about both Dumbledore and Voldemort. It's bad enough that both are on the loose without having to deal with them. Just dealing with one at a time is bad enough without having to deal with both."

"Just recall the family magic," said Aberforth to the astonishment of the rest of the group. "A head of house can withdraw the family magic from a person that has either been sentenced to life in prison or has committed atrocious felonies against a certain party. It is especially true if the Head of House is the victim of the crimes. As I have been keeping up with the trials and such, it would seem that my brother has all of those against him in favor. Therefore, you are totally within your rights to withdraw the family magic from him. By doing so, you would take away at least fifty percent of his magic if not more. Due to the fact that our mother was muggleborn, you would more than likely put him at barely over squib level even if he had a powerful wand."

"I have the wand, and his old wand was snapped when he was arrested," murmured Harry. "Unless he got another wand illegally, I can't see Ollivander making him another one. There is something in what you are saying though. I can do it, but I don't understand how, nor will I know what effects it will cause. I don't want the tainted magic in my system. It's bad enough that for years I had a piece of the Dark Lord in my scar. I don't want the magic of another idiot in my system to darken my views."

"It doesn't work that way," said Luna in a calming manner. "When you recall the family magics, it just goes back into the earth. You won't actually get the magic. You are just preventing him from having access to the magic that his parents gave to him. In this instance, due to the powerful lineage of the Dumbledore line, you would be taking just the Dumbledore magic from him. Kendra's magic will still be a part of Albus, but due to her not having a magical background it will affect him in ways that he won't be expecting. Also keep in mind that he is over one hundred and fifty years old. His magic while strong due to using the Elder Wand isn't as strong as it used to be. While he can still live for another hundred years or more, his mind and magic will start diminishing anyway as he has no means to support his core."

"Lady Ravenclaw is correct," said Ragnok. "The magical suppression bracelets that were on him drained a good part of his magical core already. At his age and the power he no longer has that is fueled by either the castle or the wand, he will not be able to get back to the power levels he once had while he lived in this castle. Again, we state that nothing will happen to you with the possible exception of some fatigue. All you have to do is to invoke the magic taking away the Dumbledore family magic and everything will work out as it's supposed to. There is no way you will become tainted as you think. It just doesn't work that way."

"So how exactly do I do it?" Harry asked looking around at some of the other purebloods in the room. "Having been raised by muggles my whole life, I don't know how to work some of the family magics. It's not that I can't, I just don't know how. While you have begun to train me, there is still much that I have to learn."

Harry looked at Sirius who was busy scribbling away on a sheet of parchment. He re-read what he wrote and made some adjustments before he handed the parchment to Harry. Harry read what was written a few times before he nodded. Salazar and Godric looked over his shoulder and nodded in agreement as to what was written on the paper. From there, Harry raised his wand.

"In the honor of the old magics, I, Harry James Potter-Slytherin-Gryffindor, hereby summon the magics to do my bidding," intoned Harry as his wand lit up and started to hum. "As head of the Dumbledore line due to attempted line theft and other transgressions against my person, I hereby recall the Dumbledore family magic from Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore. By my request, he is no longer allowed to use the Dumbledore family magics, nor is he allowed to use the Dumbledore family name. He will no longer be allowed to go near the family homes or vaults. By my magic and my station, I so will it to be. So I say the words, so shall my request be done!"

Harry watched as a beam of magical light left his wand and his core and flew out of the castle. Everyone watched in awe as the beam of magic left and went over the land. Approximately thirty minutes later, a smaller beam sped to Harry and entered his core knocking the young Arch Mage unconscious. Everyone was sitting around him showing signs of concern. Poppy, Helga, and Severus were running scans on him as Hermione and some of the others were wondering what happened. Luna sat there humming a song and didn't seem all that concerned about Harry.

"Why is Harry unconscious?" asked Hermione nervously. "I thought you said the magic would not come back to Harry but would just dissipate into nothing. It looked to me like the magic came back to Harry and has entered his body. I don't understand what went wrong. It sounded like he said everything right."

"He did," assured Rowena in a placating manner. "The magic you saw enter Harry's body was his own. The bit that left him had an easier time leaving than it did returning. The old magic reacts that way. We never were certain why it did that, but that's the law of the magic. Harry is in no danger nor is he really harmed. He just had an overflow of magic as his core adapts quickly to certain scenarios. He will be on his feet with no side effects in an hour at most."

"So does that mean that the former Headmaster is now stripped of his magic?" asked Hermione. "Did Harry succeed in his mission to strip him of the Dumbledore magic? I would hate for him to have to go through this if it didn't work like it was supposed to. Something tells me that he wouldn't enjoy having to try that again anytime soon."

"He was more than successful," said Aberforth answering her question and showing her the new ring on his finger. "If he hadn't been successful, this ring would still be in limbo somewhere. It's the heir ring. They only come out from the place where magic holds them if there is a legitimate heir. As the only one named Dumbledore alive, I automatically get the ring, even with my sordid past. Albus as the older would have the title as heir apparent even though he was in jail had Harry allowed it. Now that he has been stripped of the magic and the name, I have the heir ring. That's the way the old magic works. It has been done this way for centuries. Due to him having a legitimate reason for stripping him of the magic, it worked better than most. There is a fail-safe method in this. The Head of House HAS to HAVE a legitimate reason for dismissing the heir apparent. Albus lost the Head status due to harming Lord Potter. Now he lost the heir status due to not having the name or magic anymore."

"Please remind me that I don't want to make that a normal occurrence," mumbled Harry while Severus and Poppy helped him stand and then sit in a chair. "That was not only painful, but it isn't a pleasant sensation that happens when the magic reenters your body. It felt like I had eaten as much as Ron Weasley does and my stomach was rebelling. I was cramping like I was going to explode. That is NOT an experience I want to go through again anytime soon if ever. Aberforth, if you need money or anything, just send me an owl and I'll see about you getting what you need. Unlike your former brother, I have no problem in helping you get set up with something better if you want it. Your criminal past has already been dealt with and from what I remember reading about your transgressions, they weren't all that serious to start with."

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," assured Aberforth. "I'm quite content with what I have. I make plenty enough to be comfortable. I do appreciate you offering though. That was very noble of you to do so. Should something change, I promise that I will send you word, but as it stands, I'm very content with what I have."

"Well you proved that you are not your typical Dumbledore," Harry returned. "You came here to tell us what was going on. Now it's up to Sirius and the goblins to get their prisoner back. I doubt very seriously he will be able to come here to cause trouble. However, he may have made it to Hogsmeade before the magic was taken from him. You all might want to consider looking around here first to make sure he isn't hiding in the area. I would hate to have to defend the castle again. It was bad enough when the Dark Lord did it a month or so ago. I won't be so nice the next time."

"Don't worry about it Harry," assured Sirius. "Between the Ministry and Gringotts, we will place our best people on the case to find the old bastard. Until then, you just continue to study for your OWLS and let us worry about the criminals. That is what we get paid for you know. You don't have to worry. We will catch him before long. I have some of the best bounty hunters in my employ that are VERY good at what they do. They are also not a big fan of Albus and would love to get their hands on him."

The teens went back to the tower, and began their normal nightly studies. Harry knew eventually he had to go and power the wards surrounding the node, but he just didn't have time. Luna came through for him in that aspect as she went with Salazar and powered the wards herself. It would have been better if Harry did it being more powerful than she, but at least they were powered up. Now no one but Harry, Luna, or Susan would be able to get to that section of the castle.

With speed that made the teens pause in slight shock, the OWL tests were upon them. Each day, the teens would wake and get ready for their day. After breakfast, they would wait off to the side while the examiners called them in by class to start their exams. All written exams were in the morning and the practical exams were in the afternoon. Harry and some of the others knew they were in for a hectic two weeks as they had so many exams they were taking. Harry was one of the few that were taking just about every exam imaginable for his OWL tests.

Finally at long last, the exams were done. Harry and his companions all sighed in relief as they knew that they had a few months of free time before they had to worry about classes again. True to the nature of the group, they all began their summer work before they even knew what it was. Harry was still studying some of his subject two years higher than his actual classes. DADA and Charms were going to be easy for him as he was already done with the curriculum that Hogwarts had to offer. He just had to sit the classes and do the assignments as they came up. He already knew how to cast the spells. He was just as proficient in Transfiguration and some of his other spell casting classes as well. He wanted to take his time rather than sit his NEWTS in the subjects.

The teens all breathed easier knowing that they didn't have to take some the classes the following year. The worst case scenario for any of the students was those that had chosen to take seven classes for their NEWTS. That wasn't so bad for them and they would have time to do any extracurricular activities that they wanted. Harry decided that it was time for him to let Godric teach him what he wanted.

Summer started and the teens that were staying in the castle for the summer were busy. Many of them went home, but to Harry, the castle was home. Luna went home long enough to be with her father for a bit before coming back to the castle to be with Harry. She didn't want him to be alone any longer than necessary.

"I was thinking that we might be able to do something to keep people like Dumbledore and Voldemort from finding Hogwarts," said Harry one day when he and Luna were sitting with the founders going over some of their summer homework. "Due to all of my lineages and so forth, I was reading in some of my family books and I discovered that there is a spell that can hide something from a specific person. The spell is designed to make the building disappear as it were."

"What would be the outcome of the spell?" asked Severus. "Also, how much drain on your magical core would you have? You are turning sixteen in July, and that is still a year away from you reaching your first magical inheritance. Due to you being who you are, it will be stronger and slightly more painful than normal."

"The spell itself is a combination of Arithmancy and Runes," explained Harry. "Basically, I would need to use something that has the people's magical signature in it. It would be similar to a ward if you think about it. Basically, they will remember that Hogwarts exists, but they won't be able to remember where it is. They will remember being here and doing things in the castle, but the location will be erased from their minds. It's similar to those that are banned from the magical world. Only this way, you are specifically targeting their memories AND their magic."

"How long will it take to get it set up?" asked Minerva with sincere interest. "You seem to have the foundation recognized and you have the wand of both Tom Riddle and Albus. Therefore, both will remember the magical signature of the two. Even though Albus lost just about all of his magic, he can still cause problems. Will the spell work if a subordinate tells them the location?"

"Let me explain it this way," stated Harry in a reassuring way. "You could be sitting with Albus at the Three Broomsticks and tell him that if he was to walk down the street and keep going, he would find Hogwarts, he would still not remember where it is. He would just be walking all over the place trying to remember what you told him. The magic of the castle and the wards wouldn't let him remember how to find the castle. As for how much magic it would cost me, it wouldn't cost me all that much. I would be tired and probably sleep for the rest of the day, but it would be worth it to keep the two biggest threats to the magical world out of this place. We can't let them harm the students and we can't hide the castle as others won't be able to come. It has to be done this way."

"You do have a point there," muttered Severus. "Can anyone help you with the set up or the casting of the magic? If so, I would feel better knowing that you aren't doing it alone. Now that the students are out of the castle and it's just you and Luna with a few professors, now would be the best time to cast the magic needed."

"The initial set up can be done by anyone," stated Harry. "We would have to get Susan here if we wanted more than just me to cast the spell. Even though it's a family magical spell, she can help as she is heir of a founder. In fact, it would probably be best of all three of us cast the spell together. That way, the original intent that the four founders had will come back into full play. I can make a copy of the set up for you all to look at, but the original magic can only be done by me as it is a family magic. Of course, I can tap into Susan and Luna's magic and let them help me fuel the spell."

"That would work," said Salazar. "I know what spell you are referring to and I think it's a great idea. We were going to cast something similar, but during our time, we only had mundane people to worry about and not wizards wanting to take over. Therefore, we just used Muggle Repelling Charms on the building as they were easier to cast and less draining. Now that we have Dark Wizards wanting in this place, we can do what you want. I suggest that you rest for today and let Minerva, Filius, and Severus do the ground work. Just make a copy of the runes that need to be carved and so forth and they can do that part. You really need to save your energy. Even with the help of Luna and Susan, you will still be very tired."

"Your OWL scores should be in today," mentioned Minerva. "They usually come out right about now during the summer. In fact, I could be wrong, but I see an owl headed this way. It could be your results. I'm sure that you did brilliantly. You are very advanced in most of your courses. There is no reason you shouldn't have passed everything."

Sure enough, the owl entered through the window and headed towards Harry who held out his arm for it to land on. When he had his letter, the owl left with a hoot. Harry took a deep breath and opened the envelope. The more he read the happier he got.

"I passed everything with an O except DADA, Charms, Muggle Studies, Wizarding Etiquette, and Astronomy," stated Harry. "The first three I received an O+ and for the last two I got an EE. From what this says, all O+ equals two OWLS instead of one. That means I passed the OWL exams with sixteen OWLS. According to this, that's a record."

"I would say so," laughed Severus. "Your mother and I only received ten each. Your father received eleven I believe along with Sirius and I think Remus got twelve. You have made us all proud Harry. I think this deserves a reward of some kind."

"Congratulations Harry," exclaimed Minerva clapping while Luna gave him a kiss. "Those are some impressive scores. You even passed Divination. That's a hard course to pass with any kind of decent grade. We all know that Sybil isn't skilled at what she did. Thanks to Helga, I'm glad that you passed."

"I'm just glad that I can have a normal kind of school schedule this coming year," said Harry with a laugh. "Studying for that many classes was a huge headache. I'm looking forward to having a normal school year. I wonder if Sirius, Narcissa, and Amelia know about my scores. They are going to be thrilled. I hope that the rest of the group passed as well."

"I have no doubt that they did," said Minerva. "The GPA of the students in this tower was higher than anything I have witness in my many years teaching in this school. Thanks to the four founders, things are getting better for the school. We may ask you to be an assistant in some of the classes like DADA and stuff. We want you to be able to put your knowledge to use for the future. With those scores, you could be just about anything you wanted to be."

"Now that the excitement is over, just decide what type of activity you would like to do when you are better after your massive spell casting and we will make sure that you get it as a reward," assured Filius speaking for the first time. "Once we get the results of everyone else, we can see just how big of a reward it will be. Like my colleagues, I have no doubt that everyone passed. You are probably the highest as you took more classes. So just go and enjoy the rest of your day. Leave a copy of the foundation for the spell on your desk and we can tend to the set up for you."

"Thanks everyone," said Harry as he and Luna headed for the door. "The set up instructions are on my desk already. Let me know what Susan and Aunt Amelia have to say regarding the situation and we can plan from there. I think a leisurely stroll around the lake and to Hogsmeade with my future wife would be a nice gift. We'll be back soon. Also, my summer homework is on my desk as well in the correct folders."

With that Luna and Harry left the building and went out to enjoy the rest of their day. The professors converged on Harry's desk to find not only his summer work, but Luna's as well. All of them smiled at the quick efficiency of the two teens. They looked at the groundwork for the spell and realized that it wouldn't be that difficult for them to do it. Severus stated he could have it done in a matter of days. Filius stated he would assist him with it. Minerva went ahead and let the two men handle it while she began the work needed to be done for the upcoming school year. She wanted to replace some of the old school brooms with new ones and make sure that students were able to be safe while learning to fly.

It wasn't long before the work was set up. Harry and Luna were sitting with Susan when reports came from the professors that everyone passed their classes with NEWT scores. Hermione ended up with fourteen OWLS. Shy Neville really surprised everyone by coming out of his shell and getting twelve OWLS. Augusta was so proud that people were getting annoyed with the older woman for her constant bragging. Neville's O+ in Herbology and Wizarding Etiquette helped him soar. Blaise ended up with nine OWLS. Daphne and Draco both reported that they ended up with thirteen OWLS each. Susan was happily telling people about her eleven OWLS while Hannah sent a note telling everyone that she had received ten OWLS. Fred and George sent a message that both received an Outstanding on their NEWTS and we already in their store working on new products. They asked Harry for a small donation so that they could buy more materials, and Harry quickly sent a message to Griphook to transfer some funds over for them. The twins had told him that at any time, he could walk in and they would never charge him for their products.

"Harry," called Minerva. "We have the set up ready for you and the two girls to come and cast the magic. We set the ward with the rest of them in the ward room, but you three have to power it up. Filius and Severus both agreed that it's done exactly like the paper you gave said it should be. Ragnok sent someone over to look at it also and he said it was done properly. Now it's time for you to turn it on as it were. Poppy and I will be on standby to help get the three of you back to your rooms for a nap when you are done. I have Dobby, Winky, and Kreacher all waiting to be able to assist. Sirius sent Kreacher to you for the day in case something goes wrong."

Harry nodded his head and along with the two girls, he walked to the ward room. The trio sat in a circle around the new ward and waited while Harry went into his core to get the magic started. Once he was centered, he began to chant. He had memorized the spell work needed to cast the charm on the ward stone. He wasn't all that worried about saying something wrong. He knew that the hardest part would be coming from the fact that he had to try and enter the core of the two girls.

For the next few moments, things were a little odd. Harry pushed his magic and felt it approach the two girls. For their part, Luna and Susan didn't flinch at the feeling. They knew that they needed to welcome the magic so that Harry could tie in the blood of all four founders into what he was doing. Once the magic entered the girls, Harry pushed a little harder while focusing his magic on what he wanted it to do. It wasn't long before he had a link with their cores. Pulling slightly, he caused their magic to add to his. When he was sure he had it, he sent it to the ward stone. Placing the two won wands on the stone, he had the magic surround them and pick out the magics of Albus and Tom Riddle.

Harry knew he had it when the magic changed. With a smile, he cast the appropriate spells and sent the magic fully into the ward stone. The runes lit with a beautiful golden glow before the ward took effect and entered into the rest of the wards protecting the school. From there, Harry and the girls fully powered up the rest of the wards that were the defenses of the school. Harry took it one step further and fully charged the offenses of the school as well. When he was done, he let the magics of him and the girls separate and allowed their cores to return to normal. All three teens relaxed and fell asleep where they were sitting.

"They are done," said Kreacher. "I can feel Master Harry calling in his sleep. They were successful in what they wanted to do. It's time for us to get them to bed. Master Severus needs to give them a Head Ache Potion when they wake."

"Dobby will make sure they get good food to eat when they wake," assured the excited elf as he and Winky followed Kreacher into the room. With three small pops, the elves and the teens were back in the Champion's Tower. Carefully and gently, the elves made all three comfortable on their beds before they popped away to take care of the other needs the teens would have upon waking.

It was a few hours later before the teens were able to sit up and eat their food. When they were done, they went to their bathing areas and took a long soak in the tub that the elves set up for them. Harry was drifting lazily in his water when Severus and Filius walked in. Sitting next to the tub, they looked at Harry with worry in their eyes.

"We were more than successful," stated Harry interpreting their looks correctly. "Not only will the two old fools not be able to come back into the castle, but we made sure that the statues and suits of armor are able to better defend the school as well. We made it so that if the school does come under attack again that they will automatically come to the defense of the students. We don't want to take any chances that members of either of their parties will come here and cause problems for anyone. Though we are preventing them from coming, there is nothing saying that they won't send others in their places."

"That's a logical assumption," admitted Severus. "There is no law stating that the Dark Lord always marks his followers. He is smart enough to know that sometimes the enemy will figure out how to prevent those with the mark from entering a certain area. He will use those that are loyal to him but not marked to cause problems. It's how some of the people in the Ministry of Magic are able to stay under the radar so to speak. I have no doubts that people like Dolores Umbridge are members of his outer circle. I just don't have any proof of that. However, she is already in custody and won't be causing problems for anyone anymore anyway."

"The rest of the students that live in this tower will be here for your birthday," said Filius changing the subject. "We have decided that for your birthday that we will take you to a muggle amusement park and let the lot of you behave as the normal teenagers you are. We need you and Hermione to explain to the group how to behave when they are out and about in the muggle world. Not all of them have the experiences that you have when it comes to behaving one way in one world and another in the other. We need you to give detailed information to them as to what they can or can't do. We don't want to blow the statute of secrecy by accident."

"We can handle it," assured Harry. "Once everyone gets here, we can have Severus take us to a clothing store that is owned by a squib or something and get them reasonable clothing until we can take them shopping. I'm rather looking forward to seeing Draco Malfoy running around in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. That will be humorous to me."

"Trust me when I say that it will be funny for me to see as well," admitted Severus with a laugh. "Your birthday is in about a week. We have time to get everything done. The others should start arriving tomorrow. When you all get here, I can take you to Glad Rags. They sell both muggle and magical clothes. They can outfit you all just as easy as anywhere else. On the actual day of your birthday, Sirius and a couple of Aurors will go with us so that you all have the safety you need. I'll be going as well just because I could use some fun myself."

True to the prediction, the students started to arrive via the floo network. When they were all gathered, Harry and Hermione worked with them for a couple of days to ensure that the pureblood students knew how to act in the muggle world. From there, Severus and Minerva took them to Glad Rags where the teens had fun picking out new clothes to wear for the day. Harry and Hermione helped them to coordinate the clothing properly so that they could blend in better.

"That shirt will look good on you Drake," assured Harry as Luna was trying on a nice top and some jeans. "The color will make your eyes stand out more. Once we get to moving around some, the heat will make you a little sweaty. So the fabric of the shirt is a good choice as well. Don't worry about the jeans. Normally a pair of jeans will match anything. You will stand out less than my wife to be. Trust me when I say that even though she is brilliant, her color schemes are bright. However, I think that's what we all love about her."

On the day of Harry's birthday, the teens were ready to have some fun. Tonks, Remus, and Severus were with half of the group while Sirius, Kingsley, and Amelia went with the other half. At certain times of the day, the groups would meet and exchange stories and in some cases members of the group before going off again. Later that evening, the group went to a Chinese restaurant and had a delicious dinner. From there, the adults all treated the teens to a movie.

Upon returning to the castle, Harry opened his gifts from everyone and rejoiced in being a normal teen for once. He went to bed that night with a smile on his face and many fun muggle pictures of their day. His favorite by far was seeing Draco with his hair all messed up screaming as one of the rides took them for their twists and turns. For once in a very long time, Harry was glad that the founders stepped in and took back control of the way things should have been done this whole time.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – I'm going to stop here for this chapter. I hope that you like it. I added some subjects which is how Harry was able to get more OWLS. I didn't want Neville to be behind everyone so I gave him some extras as well. Thanks for reading and thanks for the support.


	13. A Game of Cat and Mouse

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 13 – A Game of Cat and Mouse**

Following Harry's birthday, the teens all enjoyed their free time. For about three hours a day, they trained in their physical sports. It being close to a year now, Godric wasn't pushing the teens that hard in swordsmanship as they were already doing wonderful. The training with Harry channeling his magic through the sword was going well. Even in their martial arts classes, they were learning well. Each of them was already sitting at about a green to blue belt level. They didn't need to go all the way, but there was no reason for them to not do well. Harry was higher still than the rest due to perseverance and determination. He was already working hard to gain his brown belt.

"You are doing quite well with your lessons Harry," stated Godric. "You can relax this year with your swordsmanship. The lot of you has pretty much learned everything that I can teach you. I mainly wanted you to learn how to cast spells using the sword rather than a wand. Your quick mind and sharp abilities have picked up the skill faster than I would have thought possible. Then again, I should know by now to never doubt your abilities."

"You all did say that it was in my best interest to stop holding back and show my true potential," responded Harry with a smirk. "I'm not holding back anything anymore. I'm proud to show my true colors and strengths. I enjoy learning and I'm glad that you all think I'm worth the time and effort. I wanted to do this to the best of my abilities and the compliments I keep getting from all of you sound like I have accomplished what I set out to do. Thank you for taking the time to work with me and thank you for making all of this possible."

"You are more than welcome," said Godric. "I have no doubt that if Dumbledore were still in charge, you would be even worse off than you were when we stepped in. Between him and Dolores Umbridge, they were on the brink of killing you. You are a delight to teach and we appreciate the manners and attitude that you have when it comes to learning what we have to teach. We are proud of all of the Champions. You are more than proving that what we expected of you is what you are able and willing to give. We can't be any prouder of you if you tried."

"I like that even though you all stated one of you would tutor us, that you all scrapped that and are all working with the group of us," said Harry. "I was wondering if we would start getting private lessons from the one that chose us as a Champion. There has to be something that each of you can still teach us. We would be honored to learn from the best that has ever stepped foot into this building. The four of you have made learning fun and easy. With the help of Severus and Minerva, we are learning faster than you all can come up with lessons."

"You all are already getting the one on one time," said Godric with a raised eyebrow. "While we do TEACH you as a group, your sponsor is the one that handles any situation where you need guidance or a firm hand. We were thinking about just getting rid of the idea. However, even though Helga is your sponsor, I'm sure you noticed that from time to time Rowena or Salazar takes a special interest in a certain aspect of your training or control of your powers. Helga just ensures that your emotions are seen to."

"That makes sense I guess," admitted Harry. "It's nice to be able to talk to her when I have a concern about something. I do like the fact that each of you will work with us one on one from time to time to help us in our studies and such. It makes things feel more like a family. We are learning more than just the curriculum. We are also learning how to work as a family. Draco and I hated each other pretty much on first sight. However, we have worked through all of our differences and we act like long lost brothers to one another. The four of you dead people along with the live professors have taught us how to do things both separately and as a group. I wouldn't change any of that for anything."

"While not our intentional goal, I am also pleased with the way things have turned out," Godric responded. "At any given time, I have seen one or more of you turn to your dorm mates for help, guidance, or advice. We are pleased that you don't always have to depend on someone older for guidance. Some of you have skills that the others need. We are glad that we were able to help you all realize that you needed each other and that it was ok to depend on one another at times."

Harry and Godric talked late into the evening. Many things were talked about and discussed. They talked about his leadership skills as well as his ability to think coherently during a chaos situation. They discussed how they could help some of the others in the same capacity. Some things Harry wasn't sure about and wanted to research a bit before he called in the founders and tutors. He wanted to be independent just as much as everyone else from time to time. Therefore, he would periodically look though his books for information. That didn't mean that his concerns were any less troubling than before.

It was one evening when Harry was doing some studying at his desk that he let his mind wander for a bit. He knew that Salazar stated that Voldemort wasn't a blood relative of the founder, but Harry was concerned that other things could and would come into play. He decided to write down his ideas so that he could discuss it with the whole group. He was already trying to research his own answers, but he wasn't having much luck with that. Even Madam Pince couldn't really give him any ideas as to where to look.

"I would love to help you Harry, but I can't," she said apologetically. "I don't think we have any books that would even remotely tell you anything about what you are looking for as the ritual that you described is something VERY dark. We just don't carry information about things like that here in the school. I'm sorry that I can't be of more help to you. Even the restricted section won't have that kind of information as most of the books were removed during the time that Dumbledore was here and were never returned. I'll be speaking to Minerva about getting them found and given back to the library. Even then, I'm sort of leery about having them here as they are dangerous and shouldn't be in the hands of minors."

"Not to worry Aunt Irma," soothed Harry patting her arm in a placating gesture. "When Draco, Hermione, and the others get here, we can discuss it with Salazar and see what he has to say. I'm just concerned that since he did what he did that he can get around some of my magical spells that I have cast on the castle to keep everyone safe. If anyone would know, it should be him. Thanks again for your help."

With a smile for the old librarian, Harry left her and went enjoy the sun. Luna was with her father looking for one of their mysterious creatures. Harry loved that she was still humoring her father as she was even though she knew that the creatures he was searching for didn't exist. Harry often smiled when he thought of the quirky blond. She was the highlight of his life and she well knew it. That she loved her father enough to humor him made Harry slightly jealous about not having a living parent of his own. He knew that everyone called him a family member, but deep down, to Harry it just wasn't the same. Even despite these thoughts, Harry would never begrudge one of his Tower mates their time with their parents.

Finally, the students were due to arrive back at school for the new school year. Harry had Sirius take him to platform 9 ¾ so that he could ride the train with everyone else. He stood out enough as it was and refused to be made a spectacle just because he didn't ride the train. He made rounds with the rest of the prefects to help ensure that the students weren't doing something foolish. The new Potion's Master was on the train, and Harry politely hid from the man so that he didn't hurt his feelings. He knew that the man was deeply interested in him due to his fame and Harry wasn't about to cater to such nonsense. There were a few changes in the staff during the summer months and Harry didn't want to spoil the fun for everyone. To him, they would see soon enough.

Later that evening, Harry and his dorm mates went up to the school in the carriages. He paused long enough to pat the thestrals in a calming manner before entering his carriage. Upon arriving, they sat at their table and watched as the new students were brought in and sorted. Harry clapped for each student as did his dorm mates. To them, it no longer mattered what house a student was sent to. All that mattered was that the students would be given the chance to improve their life by learning what the professors had to teach.

"I have a few announcements to make before you all enjoy your meals," stated Minerva catching everyone's attention. "I just want to give you an update on the professors of the school. We are pleased to announce that Remus Lupin is still with us for another year to teach DADA. He is still the co-head of Gryffindor Tower. Lady Narcissa Malfoy will be teaching years one through three both potions and transfiguration. Madam Figg will be teaching Muggle Studies. Professor Horace Slughorn will be teaching potions for the years four though seven. Madam Longbottom will be teaching transfiguration to the students fourth year and above. Professor Hagrid still hasn't completed his studies yet, so Professor Grubbly-Plank will still be the COMC professor for. Molly Weasley is our care lady, and she has asked you all to remember that magic is forbidden in the corridors. She told me that she plans to removes most of the items on the list that Mr. Filch had put as many of the items were harmless. From the report I received, she has made significant headway already."

"We want you all to understand that if we catch you in the Forbidden Forest, you will get both detention and point loss," stated Filius. "Since last year, we have had an improvement in the behaviors of the students and we hope that you haven't forgotten how to be upcoming mature young men and women since the summer. There are still some dangerous creatures running around the forest. We have had a team of experts come in and remove most of the acromantulas that lived in the forest. However, there are still some there and they are dangerous and poisonous. At this time, they have not all been caught."

"Let's also keep in mind that Albus Dumbledore is still on the run from the law," piped up Harry. "I was able to stop him a bit, but as long as he is out and about, he can still cause problems. Also let's not forget that the Dark Lord is still out there causing mayhem. We have done some things to keep you all safe here in the castle, but if you are out of bounds and putting your life into danger by being where you aren't supposed to be, then you are risking more than points and detention. It could mean your lives. We are enforcing this rule to make sure that you all stay safe and learn how to protect yourselves while learning how to control your magic."

"That brings me back to a point from last year," stated Minerva. "Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, and Susan Bones are all equivalent in status of an apprentice. This means that if they see that you are causing problems, are seen out of bounds, out after curfew, or other rule breaking activities, they have the right to dock points and give out detentions. If for whatever reason you decide that you don't wish to abide by their punishment, I will make sure that the punishment is doubled. You have been warned."

"Now that all of that has been stated, let's enjoy the meal that the elves have worked so hard for," suggested Filius. "They were quite pleased to have many of you return so that they could prepare this feast for you all. They do love to take care of us and we wouldn't want to disappoint them by letting the food get cold."

"This year some of you may be asked to assist the professors in some of the classes," stated Minerva to the group below them, as the students started to eat. "Draco is great in potions and may be asked to help some of the younger years. Harry is great in DADA, Charms, and a couple of other courses, so the professors may ask you to help. Hermione, I know you are skilled with your wand in Transfiguration, so be prepared to be asked for help. Luna, if anyone starts to show signs of the gift of a Seer, we will direct them to you. Susan, we will ask for your assistance with Herbology along with Neville. Hannah, Blaise, and Daphne, I'm sure that you will be asked as well as you are just as gifted as everyone else. You are ALL very highly trained in most of the subjects taught in the school."

"I think I speak for everyone when I say that we will be honored to help the professors," stated Harry. "I have one request to make. I don't want to offend anyone, but I would rather learn potions from either Narcissa or Severus if at all possible. From what I know of Horace Slughorn, he is a good friend of Dumbledore, and he collects trophy students. I don't want there to be any troubles between he and I in that regard. So would it be possible to arrange that for me please? I'm firmly in the mindset that I'm not a trophy for anyone. The closest that anyone can claim that title is Luna, and that's because she and I are to be married after she graduates."

"We can let Severus teach you potions," said Minerva after a moment of deliberation. "He is a Master after all and he can get you through your NEWT classes just as easy as anyone else. I have no problem with it. Judging from the look on his face, I would say that he doesn't either."

"I have no problem teaching the whole Champions Tower potions," stated Severus. "All of them have passed their courses with good grades. I know that Neville went back to Gryffindor Tower as he is a prefect, but for those that are still taking the class; I would be willing to teach them all. I would suggest that Luna let Horace teach her as she is a year behind the others. He can get her through normal OWLS. I'm also thinking that everyone should go to Horace except Harry, Draco, and Hermione. With them being so advanced, they may get bored with Horace."

"I'll allow that so long as Horace doesn't start to badger her due to being my betrothed," stated Harry. "I don't want to escape that scenario just for her to fall into it due to being the one that will marry me. She has just as much right to her privacy as I do mine."

"I'll make up their schedules personally and speak with Horace," assured Minerva while nodding in agreement with Harry's statement. "The three of them are taking the exact same classes, so it wouldn't be that hard to get them together. Horace is a little more lenient with his potion students than you are. The three you are willing to teach are highly advanced and would more than likely be bored."

Harry and company laughed at Minerva repeating what Severus said without realizing it. When she did realize it, she too laughed at her blunder.

"There is something that I want to discuss with everyone when we start settling down for the night," said Harry with a serious look on his face. "It has something to do with some of my research or lack of during the summer. I need all the information that I can get. As some of the professors are more knowledgeable than I am in things, it might not be a bad idea to ask people like Professor Slughorn to join us. He is older than most and would probably be able to help with answers."

"I'll arrange it for you," said Minerva. "I suggest that you eat. Poppy and your elves are starting to get upset that you have hardly touched your food. I'm sure I would get just as much of an earful as you will as I'm the one chattering and keeping you from eating. Add in that I'm not eating either and we would all get into trouble of some sort. Just because I'm older doesn't mean I'll be able to get off the hook if they decide to start fussing."

Everyone laughed as they began to eat. Once the meal was over, Harry and his friends assisted in helping the students get to their dorms. Though it was still early, usually on the first couple of nights, the students were sent to their dorms so that they could get used to where they were going and get to know their fellow house mates. There weren't very many staying the Champion's Tower this year. It was just the four champions and Hermione staying there. Everyone else went back to their dorms as they were in a position to assist with their house. However, even those that returned to their dorm knew to go to the Champion's Tower once their charges were seen to each evening for training. All were curious about what Harry wanted to discuss with them. It wasn't long before Harry could see them returning via the Marauder's Map.

"Over the summer, I had a lot of time to think about certain things," explained Harry as everyone was comfortable. "The major thing that I was having trouble with was the fact that during the whole incident in the graveyard the night Cedric died, my blood was used by Riddle. I have been searching all summer trying find information about if there was any way he could get around my wards now that he has my blood in him. So far I haven't been able to find any information due to the books being missing from the library thanks to Dumbledore."

"While that is a concern, it isn't one that you have to worry about," said Salazar thinking for a moment. "He may have used your blood to regenerate his body, but he can't get around your wards like you think he can. I can see you are fixing to interrupt me, so I ask that you let me give the full explanation before you do so. Yes he used your blood to regenerate a body for himself, but he doesn't have your family magics. It just doesn't work that way. I could give Draco a blood transfusion right now and it will have no effect on his status."

"There is a difference between using the blood and using the magic," said Rowena picking up for Salazar. "Anyone can become a blood brother or blood sister, but it won't affect their magical core. With that being said, Riddle could probably now claim to be a Slytherin from Sal's line, but it still isn't going to make a difference to those that know better. It will only be in his mind that he is. The magic from the line will not be there for him to use because you didn't give it to him. It will just not work. He could probably call forth the magic right now to strip you of the title of Heir of Slytherin, but the most that would happen is that he would stand there for a few hours waiting for it to take effect. Those that do blood adoption are actually GIVING the blood AND the magic. Riddle taking your blood didn't give him the magic. You would have to give it to him and you didn't."

"Your worry was a sound one," assured Helga calmly. "Please don't ever doubt that your worries aren't founded. When it comes to Tom Riddle, he is a bane and anything is possible with him. However, we know what he can or can't do. Even Horace can look at you and see that things are going to be just fine. We want you all to know that even the smallest of your fears should be spoken of and let us address them. There is nothing wrong with worrying. It's when you don't ask that we feel you are neglecting yourself and those that could learn from the information that we can give to you."

"Professor Slughorn," said Harry turning to the man. "I don't wish to hurt your feelings, but I don't want to be one of your trophy students. From the conversations that I heard on the train, it seems to me that the only reason that you took the job here at Hogwarts was due to the fact that I'm a student here. If that's the case, then I will ask that you not take the post and return to your retirement. We can always have Severus teach fifth through seventh year potions and let Narcissa pick up fourth year."

"I will admit that I was excited by the prospect of teaching you," admitted Horace. "However, my duty is to the students. I will stay and teach. I know that you are going to be taught by Severus and he is a skilled Potion's Master. My feelings, while slightly hurt, are not as important as your level of learning or sense of self-worth. You are more than able to learn from who you want. My loyalties are to the light and not to Albus. I heard what he did and some of the stunts he pulled. I, for one, am appalled by what he did to you and to others. Never let it be said that I don't care. If you ever need me for anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I have taught in this school when Minerva was a student here. I have been around for a long time."

"Thank you," said Harry. "All I want is to be a normal student. I know that I'm advanced and such, but I want to have a normal time in lessons until the day I graduate. I was just nervous that you were placing more interest in me and not on the actual student body as a whole. Now that we have that cleared up, I can relax knowing that you do want to share your knowledge with impressionable minds."

"Now that we have all of that cleared up, would any of you like to learn a little more history tonight?" asked Rowena. "I have a story to tell that I would like for you all to learn."

The students got themselves situated around the desks while some of the professors made their way out of the room so that they could assist in keeping an eye on the students. It wasn't long before they were ready and Rowena launched into her story.

"The ghost that you all know as the Grey Lady is actually my daughter," explained Rowena. "She was the highlight of my life and one that was skilled in many forms of magic just like I was. She was older than her sister by about ten years. There is a rumor that she stole my diadem and hid it away. There is also a rumor that on my deathbed I asked for her and sent the Bloody Baron to find her. These rumors are half right and half not. She didn't steal my diadem. I sent her to hide it in one of our ancestral homes. Suffice to say that she didn't make it there and back. I did send the Baron to find her, but it wasn't to bring her back. It was just to check up on her. I didn't know that he was under a spell that would cause him to do what he did. I wasn't on my deathbed when she was killed."

"Why did you send the diadem away from the castle?" asked Harry. "Wouldn't it have been easier to hide it here? With all of the defenses that this place has, there must have been somewhere that you could have hidden it that it would have been safe. There are many rooms, corridors, and other places here that no one would have been able to access if you used the right wards and such."

"That would have been my son's fault," said Salazar. "Even though I never had any trouble with the students or my fellow founders, one of my son's did. He was staring a war and even I was having trouble as I was starting to get on in years. He waited until I was old enough to not be able to fight him before he stated his campaign. It was his goal to unit all four relics of the founders together so that he could have the ultimate power. As you know, the sword is goblin made and can imbibe that which makes it stronger. The cup has or had healing powers. The locket gave the power of parseltongue, which he didn't have. Then you have the diadem which increases the wisdom of the wearer. He wanted to rule the wizarding world unopposed much like Tom Riddle today."

"We tried our best to keep him from getting the relics," continued Rowena. "We didn't want our hard work to be undone. Therefore, I sent Helena out of the castle in secret to have her bring my diadem to one of the secret locations that only the Ravenclaw line could get to. By the time I sent out word to check on her, she was already targeted to be killed."

"Apparently my son found out that she was going and he used dark magic on the Baron," stated Salazar with disgust on his face. "His name was John Lafayette. He got the title of Bloody Baron later due to his actions which resulted in the deaths of Helena and himself. He was of the lineage of the crown of state, but he didn't get to be a part of it due to his magical background. Getting back to my story, he was placed under the Imperius Curse and sent after Helena. He loved her and wanted her. Once the spell was cast, he didn't remember any of it."

"He sought her out on her travel and almost caught her before she was able to hide the diadem," said Rowena. "From what she has told me since, the two of them began to argue and she pleaded with him to stop what he was doing. She could tell that something wasn't right, but she was unable to help him as Salazar's son was stronger in magic and the spell was cast using parseltongue thanks to the Locket. Due to that, she couldn't counter it. When she refused to tell him where she hid the diadem, he killed her. Upon her death, the spell broke. Apparently Siegfried made it so that John would realize what he had done. The job was to either get the diadem, or die trying."

"Thus since he couldn't get her to tell him, he killed her causing him to fail," stated Harry. "Once he knew or realized what he had done, I'm guessing the second part of the spell kicked in and he took his own life. If I had to wager a guess, his own actions away from the spell would have caused him to do it anyway as he murdered the one woman he loved most in the world."

"You are absolutely correct," said Rowena. "He was her soul bond and he had killed her. Whether he was under a spell or not, you all know that you can't kill your soul bonded and live. He ended up taking his own life as the spell that Siegfried cast broke. This is how he is now known as the Bloody Baron. We have had conversations with both Helena and John since their deaths. Both have gotten over what happened and have continued their love in the afterlife."

"What happened to Siegfried?" asked Hermione. "Someone would have to have known what he did and put a stop to him. He couldn't get the diadem as it was already gone. History stated that Rowena died not too long after Helena did. Unless history was wrong once more, we would be interested in hearing what happened next."

"I died about fifty years AFTER my daughter," said Rowena. "The history says that I was on my dying bed when she was murdered. I wasn't. I was just sick and the healers were busy tending to me. I recovered in a few days and it was then that the other founders and I decided to teach Siegfried a lesson about what he had done."

"By this time Rosemary had already left the castle and we didn't know what was going on with her," said Helga. "This is how the Ravenclaw line survived. She was married and hiding. She had children and that's how Luna is the heir today."

"I did the same thing to Siegfried that Harry did to Albus," proclaimed Salazar when Helga was done. "I stripped him of his family magic and his place as heir of the Slytherin line. At first we were concerned that the Ravenclaw line had ended, but we know that it didn't. My second son inherited my name, titles, and everything else upon my death. We wanted Siegfried to understand that what he did was wrong. Even after I stripped him of everything, we made sure he couldn't harm anyone in the castle again. We stripped him of his memories and we made sure that he couldn't remember that he was of my line."

"He lived for about two more years before he was murdered for causing a brawl in an inn in a muggle town," said Helga with indifference in her voice. "I wanted to go and tend to him, but the others asked me to let the muggle healers do it. Suffice to say, he didn't make it. All of our hard work was on the brink of being undone, so we decided that we were going to be more careful about what happened in the future. This is what caused us to combine our magic and cast the spell that would tie our souls to the castle upon our deaths. We wanted to ensure that our descendants would keep up with the idea that we started to teach all people with magic how to train their minds and bodies to learn the control needed to make them outstanding witches and wizards."

"Our only sadness is that some of our descendants didn't keep the same ideals that we did," said Godric. "We have stepped in at times during the years to assist with getting them back on track, but we never had to do what we are doing today. Once our heirs started to leave the castle and not come back, other powerful witches and wizards started to change what we set up. Therefore, we come to what happened with Dumbledore. He was able to take over as he was the strongest wizard around. While he may have done things that were sneaky and underhanded, he was powerful. He started out following some of the old ways. It didn't last as the power started to go to his head. We know that the three heirs sitting in front of us today would never do something like that. We made sure that we waited for the right ones to step in and become the ones that would bring back what we set up to where it should be."

"Your trust in us is much appreciated," stated Susan speaking for Harry and Luna as well. "We would like to believe that we will do what we need to do to see to it that what you started will still be around for centuries to come. There will come a time when we make a mistake or wrong judgment, but we are intelligent enough to know that not everything will be perfect. We are also skilled enough to know that we can work together and bring about the path that was set up to start with. I don't want to lose everything due to some pureblood bigots that insist they are better just because they have been in the magical world longer."

"That's very wisely stated Susan," said Minerva. "We all know that Harry would never do anything that would cause harm intentionally to another living being. He didn't even like doing what he did to Albus. We know that sometimes accidents will happen. We also know that you will work together and bring about the transformation of our world back to where it's supposed to be. The three heirs along with their supporters will do what's right and justice will prevail."

"As it's getting a bit late, why don't we let these teens get to some sort of comfortable activity before they head to bed?" suggested Severus. "Classes start tomorrow and we want them to get some rest. I know that Harry is an insomniac, but even he looks a bit tired right about now. We thank you for taking the time to teach all of this stuff to us. Even a person like me loves learning what really happened as opposed to the second hand guesswork that others have propagated all this time."

With a smile, Neville, Daphne, Hannah, and Blaise left the tower. It wasn't long after that the professors all left as well to get their nightly rest. Harry sat there for a bit longer processing what he learned. He enjoyed the history lessons and was delighted with knowing about the real events instead of the lies and falsehoods that were being taught today. He didn't like knowing that some of history got so distorted that good people were being blamed for evil things when they had no part in it. He went to bed after kissing Luna good night and within moments, he was sound asleep. Severus checked on the teens later that evening and gave a sigh of relief when he saw them all getting their much needed rest.

The next day, schedules were given out. Harry and company looked over and were delighted to see that from time to time, they were to act as an assistant rather than a student in a class. Each also noted that they had plenty of time to get all assignments caught up and completed.

"It's a lot easier only having about three classes a day rather than what we had last year," admitted Harry as he, Hermione, Draco, headed to Potions. "Last year I was in class for about eight hours a day and that's without all of the extracurricular activities that we were doing."

"Don't forget to conceal your gun," whispered Hermione pointing at the said weapon. "We don't want other students to know that we have them. They're supposed to be a secret after all. I wonder what Severus is going to teach us in class. I can't wait to get started. I know that he is very skilled and he has changed some of the potions that normal instructors are used to."

When they entered the tower, they saw Severus working with some of the cauldrons on a table. He worked with the three with not only identifying, but told them that they would be making them this year. He knew that these three wouldn't have any trouble with the brewing of the potions.

"Hermione and I already know how to brew Polyjuice Potion," admitted Harry to Severus. "We brewed it in second year. We had the weasel with us, but he wasn't much help. We brewed it with success even if something did go wrong with it."

"What happened to make it go wrong?" asked Severus. "If you brewed it correctly, there shouldn't have been a problem. What happened to make it go wrong?"

"I accidentally used cat hair," stated Hermione with a sigh. "I thought it was human hair, but it wasn't. That's the reason I was in the infirmary at that time. We did brew it right, but the item used to change me into a person was wrong."

"Where did you learn how to make that potion?" asked Severus. "This is a good lesson for those that need to learn it. I'll make sure to send a copy of my memory to Horace so that he can teach his classes what they need to learn."

"We got Moste Potente Potions from the restricted section," explained Harry. "Lockhart signed a pass for Hermione to get the book. We wanted to find out if Draco was the Heir of Slytherin. While it was a good learning experience, it was also a waste of time. Not only was Draco not the Heir, but Hermione was almost harmed in the usage. Maybe Draco can tell this story to the students he will be assisting with when he does his assistant duties coming up."

A few weeks later, Sirius and Ragnok entered the castle. Harry and Luna were there to meet him with Minerva as they walked up the path to the door. When they arrived, Harry ran into the arms if Sirius, happy to see him again.

"Ragnok and I have some great news to pass on to you today," said Sirius. "If you could grab Neville and meet us in Minerva's office, I would deeply appreciate the assistance. Trust me when I tell you that things are going to be better for that young man coming up really soon."

Grinning with excitement, Harry raced away to Gryffindor Tower. Upon reaching the portrait, the Fat Lady smiled at him and opened to give him entrance. He walked in to find Neville cowering from Cormac McLaggin. The older boy was busy yelling at Neville. Neville was trying not to back down, but Cormac was bigger and taller than he was. Cormac even had his wand in his hand while he was busy threatening Neville. It was pointing in Neville's face. This caused Harry to step him and assist his friend. Harry flicked his wrist and caused the wand to fly to him. Angrily, the older boy turned around to confront his attacker.

"That will be fifty points from Gryffindor for yelling at a prefect," stated Harry. "It will also mean a detention for you as well for pulling out your wand on said prefect. If you even think about opening your mouth to belittle me, I will strip you of every privilege that you have without even thinking about it. My advice is to stand there while I get what happened from some of the other students. Lavender, please tell me what happened."

"Neville was sitting in his chair reading when Cormac came up to him," explained Lavender quickly at the look on Harry's face. "He wanted to know why you weren't interested in being a part of Professor Slughorn's club. Neville was trying to tell him that Snape was tutoring you in potions and Cormac got ugly. He started saying bad things about you and Snape. He was saying things about how you think you are so much better than everyone else when you were just a miserable nobody looking for more fame and sympathy. Neville got upset by this and took ten points from him. This is what started McLaggin threatening him. You entered right after that and saw what happened from there."

"Let me make this VERY clear to everyone in this dorm," hissed Harry in anger. "As the heir of the founder of this house, I can do things that most people can't. I am allowed in all of the dorms of this castle. Being the heir of TWO of the Founders means that, I have more pull and rank than anyone else. It isn't anyone's business as to why I do what I do except my own and those that are responsible for my care. Due to the problems that this has caused, I'm deducting fifty more points from Gryffindor. You will be reporting to Professor Malfoy for your detention schedule for one week. Upon completing that week, you will serve a second week with Professor Longbottom. I will also be informing Headmistress McGonagall about your abysmal behavior."

"Thanks Harry," said Neville standing by him. "You came in at the right time. I think he was about to hex me. I would have been better had he not caught me by surprise. Anyway, I know that Narcissa and Gran will make his life miserable when you tell them what happened."

"Oh you can bet on that," assured Harry. "I would expect him to lose more when I tell the professors about this. I came to tell you that Sirius and Ragnok want you to come with me to the Head office. I think they have some news for you. We can talk with Minerva at the same time. Oh and for the record McLaggin, I will be giving your wand to the Headmistress and she can decide what to do about you from there. Now report to your dorm room and do not come about again. Colin, if he does please send someone to Professor Lupin immediately."

When he got the acknowledgement, he and Neville left the tower and headed to Minerva's office. Upon arrival, he and Neville launched into their explanation of what happened. Minerva assured Harry that his punishment would be seen to immediately upon the ending of the meeting in the office. Neville looked at Sirius and Ragnok with excitement and curiosity in his eyes. Sirius, seeing the look decided to put the poor teen out of his misery.

"As you know Neville, the goblins have been working on your mother and father for months now," explained Severus. "Just the other day, Ragnok came to see me at the Ministry. Your mother and father are starting to take well to the treatments that the goblins are giving them. It shouldn't be but another couple of months and they will be able to walk and talk to you. Your mother already has motion about her, but she is progressing faster than you father due to the difference in the Cruciatus Curse used upon her. While he had the Crucio Maxima, she didn't. She just had multiple normal ones. Therefore, she is healing faster than he is."

"It won't be long," assured Ragnok. "They are progressing faster than we anticipated. Their minds are still in some kind of shock, but that's normal considering what they went through. We have already spoken with your Grandmother and she knows what's happening. She thought it would be a great gift for all of your hard work for us to give you the good news in person. While waiting on you to arrive here today, we arranged for you to come for two hours every Saturday to visit them until they are fully healed."

"Will there be any lagging illnesses or side effects?" asked Neville with joy in his voice and on his face. "Will they make a full recovery or will they have some sort of affliction that is latched onto them due to the length of time that they have been ill?"

"It is my belief that they will make a full recovery," assured Ragnok. "That isn't to say that they will be able to resume their jobs as Aurors, but they will be able to do things like normal people. If I had to guess as to something that would be wrong, I would say that from time to time they would have shaking fits. I can't explain it better than that. The curses used upon them will more than likely cause them to have tremors from time to time. We will just have to see. I don't want to give you full hope, but there is no reason that within the next couple of months that they won't be talking to you and hugging you and such."

"I can't thank you enough," whispered Neville with tears in his eyes. "The healers at St. Mungo's said they would never recover. I won't care about their tremors or shakes so long as they can speak and see me and know who I am. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"You are more than welcome Heir Longbottom," assured Ragnok. "Thanks to some of the assistance of the Ministry, the costs for the treatments have already been seen too. Your family will not have to worry about paying us as the fee has already been taken care of by others."

"Why don't you go and tell your friends the good news?" suggested Minerva. "Harry will see to Sirius and Ragnok while I head to deal with a troublemaker in Gryffindor Tower. I'm very happy for you Neville."

"Thank You," called Neville over his shoulder as he raced from the room. Minerva laughed a bit as she followed him out. Harry went to the goblin and his godfather and chatted with the both of them for a while. He knew that there were things that needed to be done, but he also knew that they weren't that important at this time.

"The Headmistress tells me that you are once more well ahead in your studies," remarked Sirius as Ragnok took his leave. "She tells me that you are still maintaining your spot as the highest GPA in the school. I know it's only been a short time, but that is quite an accomplishment. Severus is telling us that you are making all of the potions he is assigning you with ease. We even hear that you are already creating more spells. That's quite an accomplishment for someone your age. You made two in your fifth year, and you have created a couple more from what the professors are telling me not to mention those crystals that you are selling faster than you can make them. Would you like to explain what you created?"

"It's easy to explain the outcome of one of them if a bit difficult to cast," explained Harry. "I basically reworked the Petrification Spell. Instead of petrifying the whole body, I can use it to petrify parts at a time. The spell doesn't really need words, but you should use them none the less if you are first starting out. I have the spell copied and Severus and Minerva said they would see to it that it gets a patent and a copyright. The other spell is one that's similar to the Fire Whip Spell, but I changed some of the words and can do the same thing but with water, ice, air, or earth. That spell took me most of the summer to get right. However, it's not that difficult. Once more, Severus and Minerva stated they would make sure that the credit for the spell goes to me. They want me to start teaching them to the upper year students."

"That's great pup," exclaimed Sirius. "Now that you are speaking about copyright and such, we were able to find the authors that have been writing books about you. Each one of the authors that has written stories, books, or has merchandise with your name in it has been sued for all royalties. Each book is to be taken off the shelves. All accounts have been seized until you are recompensed for each book sold that mentioned your name. From now on, the only time you will see your name in print is if YOU personally give permission for it to be done. Before you ask, let's just say that your vaults have probably doubled by now. The authors using your name and story have made a fortune and they had to forfeit said fortune to you."

"Thanks Sirius, I appreciate you taking care of that for me," said Harry with a smile. "I know that you are busy with being minister and such. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to do that for me."

"Well I just got the solicitor on the job," assured Sirius. "I didn't really do all that much. I just made sure that I was getting steady reports on their success or lack thereof. They have been paid out of the winnings, so you don't have to worry about that. I made sure that everything was taken care of. YOUR job is to get good grades and learn everything that you want to learn. MY job is to make sure you are taken care of."

Harry was about to reply when he froze. Luna ran up to him and Sirius could see that something was wrong instantly. Neither teen were looking good. He could tell that both were in sight well as in the wards.

"Sirius, we have some Death Eaters on the grounds," hissed Harry. "It's time to recapture the traitors that escaped justice the last time. Pettigrew is on the grounds as well. It's time to capture that rat once and for all. He must be able to tell Voldemort information regarding what's going on in the castle. As we don't have the link anymore, I couldn't tell you what he is up to. We need to capture these people and deal with them. However, I want Pettigrew to suffer for what he has put our family through."

"There is a way we can capture him and be done with it," explained Minerva. "There are three of us that are an animagus. While Pettigrew knows of me and Sirius, he DOESN'T know about you. Therefore, you can assist us in capturing a rat as all cats chase rats. When you are in your animagus form, you can travel in the shadows. We haven't worked with you yet on it as a human due to many other lessons, but as a Shadow Cat you can always just sneak up behind him and grab him."

"Who else is on the grounds?" asked Sirius. "If you give us names, we can deal with them as well. We want as many Death Eaters out of the war as possible. We haven't been able to find Albus yet due to him hiding pretty well. We can't track him as his magic is too low for us to do anything with. Once we have him, we will make sure that he can't get away again. For now, we need to concentrate on the people trespassing here now."

"It's the Lestranges," said Harry. "We have the brothers and we have the Carrow siblings. They are a pest from what I read up of their past endeavors. They are all four very wanted criminals that are the top in Voldemort's court now that Bellatrix is dead and Lucius is in prison. We need to get all five of them. Enough is enough and it's time that he stops sending people here to threaten the castle, me, and the students. Let's get them."

With that, the group headed out to capture some Death Eaters. The students were already in their common room, so it was easy to keep them there. Harry and Minerva worked together to see about getting Peter. They used the Marauder's Map to find him. It wasn't that hard to do when one sat and thought about it. All the residents of Hogwarts had to do was to find the offender on the map and then use the tunnels to sneak around and ambush the attackers. The founders repeatedly told the Champions that it was what they did in their day when they were almost invaded or someone got past their defenses and got into the castle. They didn't have the map, but they knew from the start when someone was there that wasn't supposed to be.

Minerva and Harry came around the corner in the corridor that Peter was running in. He was in his rat form and was heading for the Slytherin dorms. Harry and Minerva exited the tunnels and transformed into their animagus forms. From there, the chase was on. While Molly was given an extra fifty years for some of her schemes that went with what Ron and Ginny did, she never really was a main character in the crimes. Therefore, time was just added to her parole. She had begun to take the corridors one at a time and seal all holes and such so that people like Pettigrew couldn't get in the castle. Thus was the situation that the rat animagus was currently in. He was cornered by two cats and had nowhere to run. Minerva quickly transformed and stunned the rat before he had the chance to run again. From there, he was placed in an unbreakable cage and sent to the Head office.

Once Harry was sure that Minerva had Peter, he used the shadows of the corridor and disappeared from sight. From there, he raced through the shadows and waited. He knew that there were vampires out and about in the shadows waiting for an unsuspecting fool to fall prey to their hunger. He shifted back into his human form and waited. Soon, the vampires grouped around him with hunger in their eyes and their fangs showing.

"Rather than come at me I have something better for you if you are interested," stated Harry taking things slowly to get their attention. "As it stands, you will all perish should you try and attack me. I am the owner of all three Hallows. You won't stand a chance against me. As far as I can tell, you are all hungry and I have a good meal for you if you are interested in working with me. If not, we can battle right here and now and you will lose. From there, I can come up with another solution to the invaders of my castle. What is your decision?"

"Speak!" hissed the lead vampire. "Your words ring truth in some ways. What meal are you speaking of and what do we get out of it?"

"I can reward you handsomely for doing something for me," explained Harry. "Inside of Hogwarts, there are four Death Eaters. I happen to know that the Dark Lord is intent on killing your whole species due to not bowing down to him. I will actually pay you to deal with these four people. Your reward is the money and the knowledge that you are picking off some people that are mainly responsible for the death of some of your people."

"Which people are you referring too?" asked the vampire again. "We are not in need of money, but if you are giving us the enemy of our people as food, we can come to some kind of arrangement. We just need to know who it is that we are going after. If they are ripe enough, we will not bother you anymore while you are traveling the shadows. We can see your Aura, Emrys. We know you have the power to back your words. Who are we to feed on?"

"The Lestrange brothers and the Carrow siblings are out and about in my castle," answered Harry to the delighted hiss of the vampires upon hearing those names. "You may enter my home and take out the four of them. All I ask is that you limit your feeding to them and not to my students or the people there to assist in their capture. Do me this one favor and I can work with you in the future if you ever need me for something. I abhor killing, but I'm tired of having to fight stupid people determined to enslave everyone. Should I fall, your people will fall as well. I have no doubt you would rather work with me and stay free rather than be slaves to a monster."

"Give us ten minutes and we will have them," was the reply before the vampires disappeared from the shadows. Harry left the shadows as well and called all of his companions together. From there, he told them what was going on.

"You all told me that this was a war and that sometimes we have to do things we don't like," he explained to them. "Right now, I have a small force of vampires sweeping the castle looking for both sets of siblings."

"You have VAMPIRES around the students?" hissed Minerva interrupting him. "What were you thinking Harry? Have you lost your mind? They will kill the students. I can't believe that you did something so foolish."

"If you would just listen to me for a moment, I can finish telling you what transpired," hissed Harry right back annoyed. "I was talking with them in the shadows. I told them who was here and gave them the option of destroying the people who were the biggest supporters of their slaughter in the last war. Once they learned who was here, they were more than willing to work with me rather than be destroyed by me. They called me Emrys. They know who I am and can see that I have the power to wipe them out. I have been given their word that they will only go after our attackers and no one else. I would appreciate it if you gave me a little bit of credit. I do have a brain in my head you know."

Minerva sat there stunned. Harry snapped at her and called her down for her words. Everyone there knew that he was acting in his capacity as owner of the castle. He was also not Harry Potter in this endeavor. He was Harry Potter EMRYS and right at that moment, he was demanding the respect that he deserved.

"The fight is just about over," said Luna with her eyes glowing. "The Lestrange brothers are already gone and the Carrows are about to be taken down. One vampire was killed, but things are going smoothly. Harry's plan went exactly as he wanted it to. None of the students are in any danger as they are only after the people that are responsible for so many deaths of their kind. As part owner of this castle, I support my future husband for his actions. I also agree that you should place a little more faith in him Minerva. Your words, while acknowledged, were insulting and you should know better than to talk like that to someone. Harry never does anything without thinking about the consequences and the outcome."

"I do apologize for accusing you, but I don't apologize for worrying about the students," stated Minerva plainly. "It isn't like Harry told us what he was planning. You all may own the castle, but I'm still the one responsible for the wellbeing of the students. So while I may have been distraught and spoke without thinking, I believe that we are all at fault."

"The last two Death Eaters are caught and are gone," said Harry. "Hogwarts is now safe for now. The vampires are taking their meal back to the shadow realm and are content knowing that the four main people in Voldemort's army are now gone and can't hurt their species anymore. As for what you said, you are absolutely correct. We are all at fault. I would have told you my plan if there was time for me to do so. However, sometimes I have to act as I see fit in order to protect the students. While you ARE the Headmistress, it is still part of my job to do what I think is best. However, we shouldn't argue the point amongst ourselves. We won't always agree on everything and this is one of those times. Shall we reward the students for being so well behaved? They don't even know what happened due to being locked in their dorms and the attackers are gone with no one but us any the wiser."

"What do you suggest we give them for a reward?" asked a mollified Minerva calming down. "They have been behaving extremely well considering all that has happened. Let's also not forget that Pettigrew is in my office in a cage. He needs to be tended too. He isn't going anywhere at the moment, but I would prefer him to be out of the castle as soon as possible."

"Let's give the students a slumber party," suggested Susan. "We can have the boys in one room and the girls in another to prevent inappropriate behavior. We can have buffet foods and finger snacks provided. We can tell them that so long as they stay in the area we set up, they can go back and forth between the game room we can set up for them and their sleeping room for the night. That way, they feel like they are being rewarded for their hard work. We can give them certain guidelines about boy and girl inappropriate behaviors and such."

"That's a brilliant idea," agreed Minerva smiling. "Sirius and I have to tend to business. From there, I'll set up the party. Thank you all for your timely actions in making sure that the castle stayed safe and the students didn't come to harm. I'll talk with you all later."

With that, Minerva and Sirius left the room to deal with the rodent. It was a fine cat and mouse game for the Headmistress. She was also secretly pleased with Luna and Harry for standing up to her and telling her that she didn't have the right to speak like she did to them. It wasn't about what she said, but about how she said it. That no further apologies were needed made it all the better.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – I can stop right here. This chapter just got away from me and went on and on. I have a few more things to do before the story end and I want to make sure that the last few chapters are as full of detail and such as the ones before this one. Thanks again for all of the support that you have shown me during the creation of this story.


	14. The Last Slytherin

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

NOTE – TO MY ANONYMOUS READER! GROW SOME BALLS AND CREATE AN ACCOUNT AND WRITE YOUR OWN DAMN STORIES IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER! DON'T YOU THINK THAT HARRY DOES KNOW THAT UMBRIDGE WENT THROUGH THE VEIL? HE DID BEAT HER. STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT MY WORK! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THEN DON'T READ IT. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME YOU SENT AN UGLY REVIEW! IT GETS ANNOYING TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE THAT CAN'T EVEN CREATE AN ACCOUNT TO POST A REVIEW TO BE REPLIED TO.

I normally don't do that, but this person is pissing me off. Sorry to all of you that actually understand that people make mistakes IN the story. Your support means everything. On to the story.

**Chapter 14 – The Last Slytherin**

The Minister and Headmistress headed for her office to deal with Pettigrew. The rat was still stunned and had not come around yet. Sirius gave Minerva a grin as he took the cage and headed out of the castle. He knew that he needed to get this rat to the Ministry where justice could be served. It was well past time to end this morbid chapter of Harry's life. Sirius wanted the rat to be punished to the fullest extent of the law for his betrayal as well as all the murders he committed.

The slumber party was a huge success for the students of the castle. They all behaved admirably and were praised for their hard work. The students were curious as to what happened to cause them to be rewarded as such and asked for an explanation. Harry and Minerva smiled at one another before they stepped forward to explain.

"You are being rewarded for your efforts to work together and be unified in the aspect of learning what we are trying to teach you," began Minerva. "As you all know, from time to time, there are things that happen in the castle that causes us as professors, and owners to team up and defend you all. Therefore, we like to reward your efforts in assisting us in helping you."

"There comes a time when people just have to fight," said Harry stepping up and talking next. "Without questioning our motives, you all head to your safety zones and you let us deal with the threats. You don't fight us on it, and you all go out of your way to make sure that the younger students are well looked after. We decided that after last night's attack that we would reward you for your efforts."

"When we set up the colored lights in the school, we did it so that you all understand the importance of us not being able to grant you a word of mouth call," said Filius. "Each of you learned quickly what the different colors represent. It has made our jobs easier knowing that you are alerted by the different colors as to what is needed. Every single student in this school knows that when the lights flash red it means the school has been breached and you are needed in your common rooms. When they flash green, you know that it's safe to move around. You all quickly caught on to what we are trying to establish with the system and it has made it easier for us."

"Having the elves assist you in returning to your common rooms quicker was a blessing for us when Lord Potter gave the initial idea," stated Pomona taking over. "It's easier on our minds knowing that the elves are making sure that you aren't caught somewhere and your life isn't in danger. We appreciate you for your wisdom and assistance when we are in times of trouble. Therefore, we like to reward you for doing your best to help us help you."

"So what actually did happen last night before the party?" asked Ernie. "One minute I was in the library reading so that I could finish my homework, and the next, Tippy brought me back to the dorm. The red lights were going and I knew we were under attack. Who got to us this time?"

"The Carrow siblings, and the Lestrange brothers were in the castle," answered Harry truthfully. "They, along with Peter Pettigrew, were sent to Hogwarts to cause trouble and to attack anyone who got in their way while trying to get information to pass onto Voldemort. As you all know, I made sure that neither Albus nor Voldemort are able to get into the castle. Today I think it's best if we give you some history on the Dark Lord and the Lord who hides in the light. So without further ado, may I present to you Hermione Granger. She has compiled a quick explanation so that you can have an easy time in understanding why those two are such a danger to our way of life and our world."

Hermione gathered her thoughts for a moment. She was shocked that Harry would ask her to explain things when he or someone else was just as qualified, if not more, to explain to the students just what was going on. She quickly organized her thoughts and began her tale.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle is better known as Lord Voldemort," she quickly explained using her wand to draw the name. From there she waved it to show the anagram. "His name is a cleverly hidden anagram. He is the son of a muggle and a witch that was barely over a squib level of magic. At the age of sixteen, he murdered his father and grandparents because they weren't magical. Due to his rage of things, he delved into the Dark Arts. He wanted to prove that he was the best. He THOUGHT that he was a descendant of Slytherin. While he does have that name, he isn't of the Slytherin family that helped to create Hogwarts. He DOESN'T have founder's blood in him. While the name Slytherin isn't common, there are others with the name. I did some research and discovered that another family took the name due to it being important in the British Isles. They had no right to do so, but at that time, people didn't really know or care. Centuries later, the other Slytherin family just blossomed under the name."

"The people who took the Slytherin name were a young couple that was both muggleborn children," stated Harry. "During our research, we discovered that they have no magical history before them. It is our guess that they claimed the Slytherin name once they moved away from this area as it sounded more regal and promising. This is where Riddle's family enters into the picture. He is not from Salazar's line as we keep telling you. He is descended from muggles and muggleborns."

"So basically, the Death Eaters are following someone with hardly any magical background in his family," stated Draco picking up the tale. "He created Horcruxes to keep himself alive in case he was harmed during an attack which could possibly kill him. I'm happy to report that thanks to the efforts of the Minister of Magic and the Goblins of Gringotts, that all of his soul anchors are gone. Professor Flitwick and I were able to destroy the last one during the attack by Voldemort himself. Tom Riddle can be killed just as easy as anyone else if the person he is fighting can get in a lucky shot."

"He has been propagating that he is a pureblood wizard with an impeccable bloodline," said Minerva. "This is a lie. He is barely a half-blood. I went to school with him. He is very skilled and very gifted. I don't want anyone to think that he isn't a powerful and intelligent wizard. That is the furthest from the truth. He is one of the most powerful wizards around. This proves to us that it doesn't matter if you are a pureblood, half-blood, or muggleborn. If you have magic, then you are able to learn to wield it with precision and success if you are willing to work for it. He was willing to work hard and he is now the most feared Dark Wizard in history. While we are discrediting him for being an heir of the founders, we can't discredit him his glory of being a fear Dark Lord."

"This is why we have been harping for about a year now for you all to stop looking at blood status," explained Harry. "It doesn't matter what lineage you have. All that matters is what you are willing to give and do with the magic. Hermione is a muggleborn and she is a powerful witch. Crabbe and Goyle were both pureblood before their expulsion, and they could hardly tell what end of the wand to point at someone. Your lineage doesn't make you powerful. Your mind and magical core does."

The students were all sitting there with a very interested look on their faces. Even the Slytherins were sitting there thoughtfully digesting what was being said to them. Some of their numbers had thinned as they were expelled or arrested for trying to kill other students and other law breaking scenarios. Some of them were under suspension for other crimes against the school. The student body as a whole wondered when the war would come to an end. Many wanted to know that they would be safe to leave their houses for a stroll without having to wonder if a spell would hit them in the back.

"We are working on stopping as many of Tom Riddle's minions as possible," said Harry drawing their attention again. "Last night, I was able to get some help. While it was unorthodox and highly dangerous, it was successful none the less. The five people that invaded our safe haven are now gone and will never be able to hurt anyone else ever again. The two pairs of siblings are dead and one is with the Ministry, where I have no doubt, they will push him through the Veil as he was the one that sold out my parents to the Dark Lord. Never let it be said that we DON'T care about your well-being. We care for the students of this school just as much as we care for ourselves. This is part of the reason why the four Champions have been getting so many different classes and are being pushed so hard to learn everything that we can. We want to be able to assist you with stopping the dark wizards that are determined to enslave us all."

"This brings us to the second wizard we wanted to tell you about," said Hermione picking up her tale again. "The Founders have discovered that Albus No-Name has been harming the school since he became Headmaster here. He was alright while he was a professor, but he started to do things that would harm the school. Harry told us that he placed wards in the school to get the four houses to start fighting with each other and it began to cause a rift in the way the students behaved. As many of you know from the classes with the founders, this is NOT the way it worked when they created the school. He took Harry from our world and placed him with non-magical relatives that hated him. As you all know, most pureblood families are related to each other in one way or another. Harry was taken out of the magical world where any family would have willingly taken him in as his father was a pureblood wizard. We recently discovered that Harry's mother was NOT a muggleborn. Dumbledore started the war with Voldemort and it spread to encompass all of us. He did this under the moniker of the Greater Good."

"We are now responsible for cleaning up his mess," hissed Harry in annoyance. "The famous prophecy about me and the Dark Lord is a fake. My parents died because of Dumbledore wanting our money, fame, and power. Now he is nothing more than a wizard that can barely do a Lumos spell. I took away his ability to use the Dumbledore magic when I claimed his heritage by the Right of Conquest act. He was going to sacrifice me and many of you to make sure he was remembered as the greatest wizard in history. We put a stop to that. Each of you has helped in a small way. Now he will be remembered as a thief and a possible murderer."

"Before you ask, please remember what we told you earlier about your reward," interject Minerva when the whispers started amongst the students. "Each of you follows the rules when we have to place the castle in lockdown for your safety. Each of you doesn't hesitate to assist others when needed. We even have some of you acting as tutors for younger students. I have seen Slytherin students helping Gryffindor students with their homework and vice versa. You are all working together to be the best students that you can be. THAT is what we mean when we say that EACH of you helps us. All we ask is that you continue to do so. The more you learn and the more you do, the better and easier our jobs are."

"What's going to happen next?" asked Justin. "Do you all have a game plan as to how you are going to end this war? It seems that even though Harry doesn't want to kill anyone that he is in the forefront of making sure that many of us even have a school to attend. I even heard that the founders wanted to close the school and Harry asked them not to. Is there something that can be done to end this once and for all? If there is, we want to help end the threat to our lives."

"None of you are going to be involved in the fight," said Harry quickly. "The reason that you see the Minister and certain goblins here so often is that THEY are taking the fight to the Dark Lord and the Idiot Lord. OUR job is to go to class and be a teenager. I will admit that I'm at the forefront when it comes to defending the castle, but as part owner, that is my job. I can work with the wards easier than just about anyone else as a dual founder's heir. Susan and Luna work well with the wards also as we helped correct them around the castle. Luna and I work well with our Seer gifts and that helps us."

"I thought Susan was a Seer also," mentioned Hannah. "That one night, she was using her Seer gift to help around the castle. Why doesn't she use her gifts as well to assist? While you and Luna are great, it would be better for all three of you to use that particular gift so that one can focus on one thing while another is watching for something else."

"First off, the gift doesn't work that way," explained Helga kindly. "You can't just pick and choose what you are going to see using the gift. While Harry and Luna are skilled, they can't just get a vision of what Albus is doing just because the want to. As for Susan, she isn't a Seer. The night you saw her using what looked like her gift was just her using the wards. At that time, she had better control of the wards than Harry or Luna as she knew more than they. She may get feelings every now and then, but she won't be a full Seer like Harry and Luna are. As you all know, Seers are rare. When they are using the gift, their eyes will look like they are glowing. In some cases their eyes will go one specific color while in the Gift. The four of us Founders were all Seers and our heirs, more often than not, inherit the gifts. There are those that don't inherit and Susan is one of them. She is no less an heir, but she doesn't have the gift of sight. She will be more intuitive, but not on the level of Harry and Luna."

"We want you to know one more thing," said Harry bringing their attention back to them. "While we are working hard to stop Voldemort and Albus No Name, there will always be someone who wants to take their place. Each of you has a brain and can decide how you want to handle the situation. Also keep in mind that not all Light Lords are light and not all Dark Lords are dark. Some of them walk in the middle. It just depends on who is doing what and what they are demanding. You will eventually have to make a decision as to who you are willing to follow and what you are going to do when faced with a situation like this when you are adults and Head of your own families. Please think about this carefully. One decision could affect many people. Wars start with people who don't think their options through before heading off and causing trouble or trying to make people believe that their opinion is the right one."

The students started to talk about what they learned with one another. The owners, professors, and founders settled down to let them. It was time that some of the teens started coming to their own conclusions as to who, what, where, when, and how. Each teen in the castle was intelligent in a unique way. It would be interesting to see some of the conclusions that they came up with. Harry was looking forward to a time when the castle could be a school and NOT a war zone. Minerva and Severus were nodding at Harry. His insight and intelligence level was far advanced for his years. With the support of people like Luna, Draco, and Susan, they were firmly in the mindset that the world would be a better place.

Later that evening, those that resided in the Champion's Tower were doing their homework for the evening. True to how things were done, they did it in a fashion that most of it was already done before they even went to the class. As per habit, they read ahead in their work and didn't have to worry about stressing on what they didn't know. Having Severus for a tutor helped immensely. Also having the other professors stop in and offer their assistance was helpful. This kept the residents in the tower from falling behind or not understanding what they were reading.

Harry kept on creating new spells and reworking some of the older ones to make them better. Each time that he did so, Minerva, Severus, or Sirius would send it to the proper people and they would handle the knowledge. Harry was also spending a couple of hours each day making the crystals that he sold in his shop. The twins were constantly sending him messages asking for more as they were selling them faster than they could put them on the shelves.

Many a day would see one of the Champions or their close friends assisting a professor in their lessons. Harry was happy to help in DADA. He was a natural in the subject and didn't hesitate to assist the students when they were having trouble. The teen also assisted the professors when it came time to grading tests for the younger years and looking over homework and such. This was also a learning experience for them as they had to make a judgment on the information that was given and such. Each knew that it could affect the student if the grade was bad. However, the professors all looked over the tests after and if the assistant was wrong in their marking, the professor would patiently explain it to them.

"Harry," Salazar called out one evening while they were talking. "When are you going to do to Tom Riddle what you did to Albus? If you claim the familial magic from him, you can make him weaker and not have to worry so much about him. Thanks to Lord Black, they are rounding up some of his minions. From what Minerva told me, they are actually starting to give the Dementor's Kiss to those that have murdered to get their Dark Mark. It is also being said that those that raped to get their mark are getting life in prison. There comes a time when you have to put your foot down and say that enough is enough. By claiming his familial magic, you can stop him as much as you did for Albus."

"All I can say is that I will give it a try," promised Harry. "I would like to do something like that, but my fear is I'll have a bad reaction to his magic. I don't want an episode where my magic gets tainted due to calling in his family magic. The Gaunts weren't that stable from what we saw in the old fool's pensieve memories. Once we claim the magic, I want to ensure that my body stays on the light and positive aspect of things without all of the lunacy that goes with it."

"But you won't have to worry about that," said Luna with a grimace. "Don't you remember what happened when you called forth for the Dumbledore magic from Albus? All you did was take his magic away. The magic didn't actually come into you. He just lost his ability to use it. Doing the same thing to Riddle won't hurt you as his mother was barely above a squib. His father was a muggle. However, the point I'm trying to bring across is, is that your fear is baseless. There isn't anything for you to worry about. Just like last time, you will probably just be knocked out for a bit, but that's the worst that will happen."

"I should remember that," admitted Harry. "I have been busy and some things just go to the back of my mind. I know I shouldn't worry, but I can't help it. I guess it's just the way that I was raised or something. I don't want to get hurt or have anyone else get hurt either. I just want to have some kind of normal life without having to worry if I'm going to be murdered in my sleep from one minute to the next."

"You have gotten much better at that," stated Severus in a reassuring manner. "We are well past the Christmas holidays and well into the new year. Time has flown without you even realizing it. You are still at the top of your year with Draco and Hermione sitting right behind you. If you care to remember, we fuss at some of you for not going to bed at a reasonable hour due to wanting to study anything you can get your hands on. There is only three more months to the school year. There is no rush to do what was asked of you, but at the same time, the sooner you do it the sooner you can breathe a little easier knowing you took some of the power from him."

"He can still use some of his other gifts to lord over his minions, but he won't have the magical backing to push too hard," stated Godric. "With him losing most of his magic doesn't mean he will lose his charisma. With him losing his minions, he will get weaker. No one will want to follow someone who isn't powerful. He will always be known as the man who terrorized the wizarding world. There are ways you can give the information out to let others know he lost everything."

"You can post an ad in the Daily Prophet," said Susan. "Once you take his magic, you can post it in the paper about what you did. This will tell everyone that he lost his familial magic and can be beaten easier if the person is determined enough to stop his reign of terror. You could also do the same with Dumbledore. I'm surprised that no one has sent out bounty hunters to collect the old fool. With the right amount of gold being offered, you could have the populace doing something other than sitting on their asses while waiting for you to do everything for them."

"That might not be a bad idea," murmured Harry. "I could always put up the gold. It isn't like I don't have plenty. I was awarded the vaults of the Carrows and the Lestranges upon showing my memory that they were killed. The vampires asked for my castle in Romania as payment for the favor I owed them. I sent a note to Ragnok telling him to draw up the papers. From the owl I got from the vampires, they are quite content to sit there. We could even talk to the Queen and Sirius and see about sending some of our condemned people to them to feed on. That would save them from feeding too much on the innocent population."

"I'll talk with Sirius for you about that," agreed Severus. "That is a brilliant idea and one that could be carried out. The vampires would be happy with that as well. Magical blood is a delicacy to them. They would pay you to have that privilege. We just have to see what the Queen and Sirius have to say about it."

Days later, Harry had his answer. Her Majesty and Sirius were all for the program and would begin to implement it immediately. Harry was instructed to meet with the vampires and tell them what they had decided. Harry entered into the shadows and spoke with his new friends there. Once the found out that they would be getting free meals due to people who were going to be killed anyway, they were all willing to let the Ministry of Romania come in and ward the dungeons of the castle to keep the magical prisoners from escaping.

"It just seems to get easier as we go along," said Harry one day in May. "The more little things that we do, the better it seems to get. We have Britain being cleaned of its most dangerous criminals both magical and not daily. The vampires in Romania are always willing to let me travel the shadows in my human form as I bring treats for them to place in their dungeons to kill and feast on later. They even keep an eye on Hogwarts for me so that if some of the Death Eaters that are still at large can be caught."

"So far, they picked up Rosier, Jugson, and Dolohov," stated Narcissa ticking them off her fingers. "That's three more of the inner circle that have been caught. Sirius sent me a message that they arrested the Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinson families. Two set are destined to arrive in Romania as soon as Harry has time to take them."

"Oh I took them yesterday," assured Harry. "It pays to be able to walk into the shadows and get from one place to another. All I really have to do is go to the cells the prisoners are in and just grab them and enter the shadows. There is always at least one vampire there that is waiting for me to bring them to them for transport. I'm even getting paid to do so. Lucius was sent recently as he murdered that little girl when he got his mark. From the list that Sirius has, there are mainly four main Death Eaters left. Pettigrew wasn't killed, but we have him in prison with at least three dementors feeding on him at all times. The rat is so miserable, that he hardly eats anything. We also have wards preventing him from transforming to escape. From there, there is a human guard standing outside of his door at all times."

"I think that it might be time for you to pull the family magic from Tom," said Luna. "It really does need to be done. If you do it today, you won't miss any classes and you will have your summer free to travel like you wanted. I know we are going to Argentina with Daddy for a week. Sirius mentioned wanting to take you to Russia."

"Amelia wants to take us to Australia for a week as well," said Draco. "Mother wants to take us to Italy. From there, Grandmother Augusta wants to take us to Spain so that we can celebrate the full recovery of the Longbottom parents. Frank and Alice are very happy that they are able to love their son again. Of course, all guardians are welcome on each trip. We made sure that each parent or guardian was invited. Even Severus was invited to join us on the trips."

"Very well," said Harry standing and pulling out the Elder Wand. "I, Harry James Potter- Gryffindor- Slytherin, hereby recall all familial magics from Tom Marvolo Riddle due to the Right of Conquest Act. By doing this, I also strip him of all access to vaults, names, and artifacts given to him. By my magic I will it to be, by my word I make it so to be."

With that, the magic left Harry and flew out of the castle. Harry stood there as if in a trance and waited. They knew that he would be like that until the magic returned to tell him that he was successful. Not more than an hour later, the magic flew back into the room and slammed into Harry causing him to hit the floor unconscious. Poppy squatted beside Severus and the two of them scanned him for any signs of trouble. Once they were sure he was alright, Severus levitated him to his room and laid him in bed.

"He's fine," assured Poppy. "He will sleep for the rest of the day and night. I have a couple of potions that Severus will need to give him when he wakes. Thankfully he doesn't have to do this anymore. I don't like seeing him unconscious like this. Make sure he takes it easy tomorrow. I'm not worried about his magic, but his physical condition. Thankfully school will be over in a couple of weeks and he can go and enjoy himself before his final year as a student."

"Now that he did that, we can post an ad in the Prophet," said Minerva. "I already wrote one to send. I'll get it sent right out and a copy of it sent to Xeno for the Quibbler. The more we advertise that Albus and Tom are weak, the more we can see to it that both are taken care of. I'll ask Sirius to place the bounty out in addition to what I send. That way, we can have others wanting to make sure that the two evil men are taken out of the picture. We of course want them taken alive, but we will take what we can get."

With that, Severus sat and brewed a few potions while the others went about their business. Harry slept on knowing subconsciously that all was well in his world. He knew that the adults and other Champions would make sure nothing happened while slept and regained his strength.

Voldemort knew anger. It was one of the things that he was feared for. Today his anger knew no bounds. However, when he went to curse one of his subordinates, the magic struck him and knocked him out cold. The minion he was fixing to curse fled in fear while reporting to someone of higher authority about what happened. The next day, Voldemort woke and knew something within his self wasn't right. The power wasn't there. He tried to cast a few spells and found that he could cast some smaller ones, but his arsenal of feared spells was beyond his ability. He raised his head and screamed at the top of his lungs in his fury. Those that were sharing the dwelling with him fled in fear not understanding what he was furious about. It was later that same day when they knew. The opened the paper and read what was posted.

_**The Dark Lord and Idiot Lord**_

_**Now Squibs?**_

_It has come to our attention that the Dark Lord named Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort has lost his lifelong fight with the Potter family. Headmistress Minerva McGonagall sent us a letter stating that Lord Potter finally stepped up and dealt a blow to the two most infamous Dark Wizards alive. By using the Right of Conquest Act due to beating both men, Lord Potter was taught what it means to be the Head of an Ancient and Noble House._

_It has been stated that Lord Potter has called in the familial magics of both Voldemort and Albus No Name. Not only has he taken their family magics, but he has also taken their names and possessions. Spokesperson from Gringotts has stated that the goblins had already made a clean sweep of everything that was owned by the Dumbledore family. They are now going to work on anything that was owned by the self-proclaimed Dark Lord._

_What this means is that once Lord Potter called for the magic, it made Albus and Tom barely above a squib level. The fact that their hideouts haven't been located yet is probably the only reason that they are not in prison._

_Minister Black told us recently that the Horcruxes that the Dark Lord made are all destroyed. Harry Potter has thwarted both Albus and Tom in a one on one match and claimed both the Elder Wand, and the yew wand carried by the Dark Lord. Rumor has it that the yew and phoenix feather wand that was the brother of the wand bought by eleven year old Harry Potter has been snapped in two. The Elder Wand is a Potter family heirloom and is now with its rightful owner._

_In other news, the Death Eaters are slowly but steadily dwindling in numbers. They are being rounded up as quickly as the Ministry can find them. We received word from Minister Black that there is now a bounty out for the capture of Albus No Name and Tom Riddle. They Ministry would like them alive and brought in so that they can me served the justice that has been needed for quite some time. We have a list of other wanted fugitives that we would like for the populace to keep aware of. Walden McNair is on the run and is wanted for the murders of the Prewett brothers. Thorfinn Rowle is wanted for the deaths of the Bones family. Andrew Mulciber is wanted for his infamous use of the Imperius Curse on muggle families. Last but not least, Anthony Nott is wanted for the murders of the McKinnon family._

_Any information on the listed criminals can be found at Gringotts Bank or the Ministry of Magic. A reward will be given for their capture. However, they must be brought in alive. It's time that we took our world back from those that feel it's alright to steal, lie, and murder those that don't believe as they do. _

_The Champions of the Founders are working hard to bring the four houses of Hogwarts under the same banner as was set up by the famous founders when they started the school. Fights, insults, and differences in blood status are not things that are tolerated or looked at. The Champions have rallied that it doesn't matter what blood status you have. If you have magic, then you are to work at how well you want to be known by what you do with it. They don't look at your parentage. They look at you and what you decide to do with your life._

_We all wish the Champions good luck on their future endeavors. We hope sincerely that the two couples of soul bonded teens have a wedding event to last a lifetime. We owe Lord Potter, Lord Malfoy, Lady Bones, and Lady Lovegood, sincerely deserved thanks for their continued efforts to keep our children safe._

_Lillian Moon_

_Reporter_

Those reading the paper knew that Harry Potter had made it so that others could help eradicate the world of the dark forces that plagued their land for so long. Those that were listed knew that they needed to get out of the country before someone caught them and turned them in. They also knew that Harry Potter and his companions would ensure that the hunt didn't stop until each and every one of them was caught and brought to justice. The only thing they had going in their favor was that no one knew where they were at the present time. None of them were foolish enough to think that they wouldn't eventually be found.

Upon reading the paper, many of the minor Death Eaters were of the opinion that it was just time to call it quits with the Dark Lord. He lost and there was nothing that he could do to reclaim his magic. It was time to make sure that he couldn't harm their families in other ways. Other members were quietly fading into the background rather than dealing with either the wrath of the Dark Lord or Lord Potter or his associates.

Harry read the paper with a small smile on his lips. Between Minerva and Sirius, they had effectively ended the war with Albus and Tom. He knew that before long, people would want to cash in on the bounties of some of the named people from the article. It was just a matter of how long it would take them to get caught. To Harry it seemed that McNair would be the strongest of the bunch of what was left.

The school year ended and once more, Harry was top in the school for grades. He and Luna watched as Ravenclaw won the quidditch cup. What was surprising to everyone was Hufflepuff winning the House Cup. Pomona was blushing as Harry and the Champions stood and applauded her the loudest for her well-earned victory. With quiet efficiency, the school year ended and the students returned to their families.

A few days later, Harry and Luna were walking arm in arm in Diagon Alley when trouble started once more. As they were no longer in the castle, they didn't have the advantage of the wards of the school to guide them. They also didn't have the secret tunnels to evade their attackers while they set up a plan to stop them. As they were exiting the bookstore, they were confronted by two people that were on the Ministerial list of wanted criminals. Both teens gave a sigh of aggravation before they decided to bring the fight to them.

Harry went on the offensive as he trained harder and longer with Godric than the others. Being the best in the school in DADA was a perk that he was going to use. While he was doing that, Luna was busy going on the defensive. She waved her wand and used some of the tricks that Salazar taught her to not only confuse, but to incapacitate their attackers while Harry took them out with his spells.

McNair and Mulciber were both attempting to claim the title of Slytherin by Right of Conquest so that they could return the family magic to Voldemort. Harry was not fooled by what they were after. Their Seer gifts were enough to read the men like a book.

"You do know that even if you beat me, that you will NOT gain the magic of the Slytherin line right?" he asked as he sent a barrage of spells at the two fools. "As you are both pureblood individuals, you should know that the magic doesn't work that way. You may be able to strip me of the power, but you won't be able to gain it from me. Then again, from what I'm to understand, most pureblood families are so inbred that they can't manage to string a sentence together coherently much less learn something."

"I will kill you today Potter," hissed McNair. "You and your whore will die by our hands today and our master will reward us beyond our wildest dreams. You will pay for what you have done. When it is all said and done, you will be remembered as the boy who finally let his mouth cause his downfall."

"Big words coming from someone like you," hissed Luna in anger as Harry sent even more powerful spells at the duo. "What is the DORK Lord going to pay you with? He doesn't have any money, power, or influence anymore. The most he can give you is a pat on the head and a kiss on the cheek. As for me being a whore, you can rot in hell for that comment. I am still pure despite my soul bond with Lord Potter. You will pay for that comment. If there is anything left of you when Harry is done, you will deal with me and my fury. I may not be quite as powerful as he is, but you will remember that you messed with the wrong woman."

With that, the four of them went to war. Spells were flying with deadly accuracy as the four dodged, twisted, and defended. McNair and Mulciber may be older, but the lessons with the founders were giving Harry and Luna the edge. There was also one more ace in the hole for the teens. Neither of their attackers saw the people coming out of their shops. More than once, the spells sent by the Death Eaters was mysteriously stopped by someone standing in the window of their shops. Mulciber was hit with a Cutting Curse in his side from Ollivander. The old wand maker was grinning as Harry and the older Death Eater went toe to toe.

It was at one point when Mulciber lost his wand that Harry stopped casting his own spells at him. From there, he used his almost two years of training by the Sensei. He walked up to Mulciber and within five minutes, he had the older man so black and blue that many wouldn't recognize him. Harry totally wiped the street with the man and didn't have to use his wand once. When he was sure the man was unconscious, he let Ollivander stun the Death Eater and wrap him in tight ropes. Once he was sure that Mulciber didn't have any portkeys or hidden weapons, he turned his attention to the fight going on between Luna and McNair.

Luna was busy humming to herself as she fired hex after hex at the former Head of the Disposal of Dangerous Beasts Department. What was infuriating the man the most was the fact that Luna was acting like she wasn't trying that hard. Harry knew she was giving her fullest attention to the man. This was a ploy that she had adopted from Sal months ago to confuse her opponents. One would think that the person was weak if they weren't paying attention thus giving them the time they needed to find the mistake that was to be made by the opponent.

Luna was watching very closely as the man was firing his spells at her. She knew that she wouldn't have to worry about the Unforgivable Spells as the patrons of the Alley were busy sending items in their paths. This gave Luna more time to hit the man with many and varied smaller hexes while saving her energy for when she gave the knockout hit.

"Listen here you little bitch," hissed McNair. "I won't use my wand anymore to beat you. I'll just chop your head off with my axe. Think of what you lover boy will do with a headless bride to marry. I know that he will not be able to forgive himself if something were to happen to you. You will be one less heir of the founder running around causing problems for my Lord."

Luna didn't bother to give a reply. She pulled out her sword and waited for the man to make his move. She had her wand in a way that she could still cast spells should she need to, but for the most part, she was going to beat him with her sword. She waited while the man ran at her swinging. Due to her size and agility, she went under his swing and sliced him along his stomach with her sword drawing first blood. Once he was past her, she danced out of range while studying him for his next move.

Snarling at her, he rushed a second time trying to come in low with his swing to keep her from going under like she had before. What he wasn't expecting was for her to levitate over him and kick him in the back of his head causing him to fall on his face in the street. As he went to stand, she raced us and expertly hit him in the temple of his head with her hand causing the man to drop like a sack of potatoes. Once he was out cold, she searched him to retrieve any hidden weapons as well as portkeys and other means of escape. Ollivander came out of his shop and bound the man just like he did with the others.

"It looks to me like all of those lessons with the Sensei paid off for you both," said a smirking Sirius standing two doors down leaning on the frame. "Pardon me for not getting involved, but the two of you seemed to have things pretty much well in hand and I didn't think you would appreciate me stopping some of your fun. You were both brilliant and I'm very proud of you for doing what you have done. Both of you have unique fighting styles that would probably benefit the Auror Department. We may have to get the two of you to do a demonstration for us."

Laughing, Harry and Luna ran to him and let him embrace both of them. While that was happening, the Aurors were busy taking the prisoners away. Harry knew that both men were sentenced to die and he would have to transport them to the shadows soon. Amelia and Susan were also both standing there talking with Luna and Harry. They were all pleased to note that the two teens were a bit tired, but otherwise unhurt. Harry had a small cut on his face that Susan healed quickly for him.

Draco, Narcissa, and Severus came on the run when they realized that Harry and Luna were under attack. However, once they got to the scene, all three realized that there was not a whole lot that they could do to help. They were amongst those that were busy banishing items into the paths of the Unforgivables, but other than that, they watched and waited to see what would happen with the teens. None of the trio was disappointed with the outcome. Harry and Luna literally beat the hell out of the two menaces. When it was all over and Sirius was holding them, they joined the group to take the pair back to Hogwarts for some much needed and well deserved rest.

The next day, the people were delighted to read the paper once more. The headline captured the interest like none other before.

_**Potter and Lovegood deliver the TKO to two Death Eaters!**_

_In recent events, Lord Potter and his soul bond, Luna Lovegood, were walking in Diagon Alley when attacked by Walden McNair and Andrew Mulciber. After trading spells back and forth, Lord Potter went after Mulciber in a hand to hand style of fighting that muggles call Tae Kwan Do. Lord Potter is a red belt while Lady Lovegood is a brown belt. With a few well-placed hits, Mulciber was on the ground completely unconscious._

_While this was happening, McNair decided that wands were not going to win him the fight and challenged Lady Lovegood to a fight using blades. This reporter is pleased to state that Lady Lovegood accepted the challenge and defeated her attacker with pure skill, cunning, and style. Once she was able to start beating him using her sword, she was able to jump over him and kick him in the head. From there, she used a similar technique that Lord Potter used and with one well-placed hit, she knocked her opponent out cold._

_We all wish Lord Potter and Lady Lovegood congratulations on their outstanding victory today. We know that it isn't easy to attack someone that has decades of experience over you. However, the two teens proved that just because you are older doesn't mean you are better. _

_We heard the Minister of Magic ask the teens to do a demonstration for the Auror Department of the Ministry. Once they were sure that the teens were unharmed, the two weary teens were escorted back to Hogwarts._

_We shall keep you abreast of any more situations where Albus, Tom, or the remaining Death Eaters attempt to cause trouble for our civilians. A special thanks goes out to Garrick Ollivander for his small part he played in the fight by assisting in keeping the now prisoners from escaping while the Teen Duo made sure to keep all danger at bay._

_Lillian Moon_

_Reporter_

Harry and Luna placed that article in a frame and placed it on the wall in their dorm. Harry only had one more year to go of school and Luna had two. The teens were quietly discussing options for when they graduate.

"I think that I will teach for a while," stated Harry. "I want to pass on some of my knowledge and skill to others. On the other hand, I would love to become a curse breaker or ward master. We can work together going around the globe as a team. With our power and knowledge, Gringotts would hire us in a heartbeat if we wanted to."

"You are already creating new spells," said Severus. "Why don't you just work in your store until Luna graduates and make a decision from there. It isn't like you can't come to the castle and do guest lectures and such. I have no doubts that Minerva would allow you to do that. Plus this will give you time to work on new spells while working in your store. You seem to be a natural at it."

"That's a brilliant idea Severus," exclaimed Harry. "With Luna being the last one, she can have a normal schedule. You can work with me and we can sell potions as well as my music crystals. Your contract with the castle is technically ended at the end of next year. You can have a quiet life like you've always wanted and work on improving your potions and such. We can both come here and do things with the school from time to time just for something to do. While I'm here, I can boost the wards and such."

Talking well into the night, the trio made many decisions. They had already gone on their vacations and the shops promised to send their supplies to the school for them for the next school year. Luna has passed all of her OWLS with high scores. She scored an O in Transfiguration, Potions, HOM, COMC, and Divination. She scored an EE in everything else. For her NEWTS, she was going for the five core subjects as well as one for History.

Things were moving along for the teens. They knew that it wouldn't be long before wedding bells would be sounding for them and for Draco and Susan.

AUTHOR'S NOTE – I'm going to stop right here. The next chapter will have a time jump. It will cover Voldemort, Dumbledore, and NEWTS. I might squeeze a 16th chapter out of all of this. It just depends on what I can do with the next chapter. Thanks for the support.


	15. Renewing the Blood: Epilog

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I don't own the characters. I only own the plot. NOTE – This story is MINE and not JK Rowling. I have gotten some nasty reviews on some of my other stories telling me that they didn't like the way I portrayed certain characters. If I wanted to do exactly what JK did, I would just plagiarize her work. Fan fiction isn't about following what the original author writes. It's about writing what YOU want using their characters.

DISCLAIMER – Harry Potter and its affiliates are the sole property of JK Rowling. I only own the plot.

DISCLAIMER – Pairings are Harry/ Luna and Draco/ Susan.

DISCLAIMER – Please don't badger me because you don't like the story. If you find that you do NOT like the story, then please stop reading it and move on. You not liking the story will not prove anything if you get ugly about it except showing that you are a fool. If you want the story to go a certain way, then write your own.

Author's Note – The characters will be very out of canon. I enjoy writing the characters as I want to portray them. It's what makes some of my stories the success that they are. Canon characters are boring.

**Chapter 15 – Renewing the Blood: Epilog**

Harry and company were ready to start the new school year. They knew that this was the last for most of them. Luna would be the last of their clique when it was all said and done. Fred and George were already gone and Harry, Draco, and Susan were the last along with Neville the others that were friends with the Champions.

"Harry, we need to talk to you about something important," called Minerva while she waited for Harry and Luna to come down the stairs. Upon them arriving, she continued with her thought. "Your birthday is in a couple of days. We need you to stay at Gringotts that night or even here in the tower. The reason being is that you will come into your full magical majority and we don't know how powerful that will be due to being a dual heir of the founders."

"What was it like for Susan?" asked Harry. "Did she have any problems with coming into her majority? She is the heir of Helga after all. I know she is now formally known as Lady Hufflepuff. She sent me a letter to let me know that it was official. I have it in my room. She didn't say anything about her magical inheritance though."

"Her magical inheritance was more powerful than most, but it wasn't that bad," stated Amelia. "She was uncomfortable for a little while as the magic settled into her system, but she wasn't in any actual pain. It was more like she was having a hard time of the month with cramps and such. Her core did expand more than a normal witch or wizard, but it wasn't that bad."

"It just felt like I was sick due to something I ate," admitted Susan hearing the last words her aunt said as she entered the room and guessed correctly what they were talking about. "Once the entire thing was done I was back on my feet within a couple of hours. Many of us will be here for your magical inheritance as we want you to know that you have our support. We knew already that you would be powerful with just the Potter inheritance, but coming into the inheritance from two founders will be painful for you."

"That's not counting my Pendragon and Emrys lines opening up as well," said Harry with a miserable sounding voice. "Are there potions I can take to make it less painful and such? I would rather not have to hurt any more than necessary if I can help it. Add to that, I don't want someone else getting hurt due to my magic being all over the place either. I want this to be as safe as possible for everyone."

"We were talking about that," answered Severus. "The founders have all discussed this and have agreed that you should take some mild pain potions BEFORE your inheritance starts. That way, they are already in your system when the magic takes effect. We don't want you to hurt any more than you want to be hurt, but there is only so much we can do. We still have to allow nature to take its course. We promise you that we will do what we can. Poppy and I will be with you the entire time monitoring your system. With the help of Draco and Susan, I can even help by doing Legilimency on you. That way, I can talk to you in your mind and get the information I need to be able to assist you better."

"That sounds good to me," replied Harry. "This way, we can record our findings and such as well. We can do a sort of documentary on what it's like to become the new Lord of a founder's house as well as the new Pendragon or Emrys. I assume that Hermione will be here so that she can take notes?"

"Yes," answered Minerva. "We talked with her mother and father and explained what was happening, and they have given their permission for her to be here to assist you. We can always ask her if she is willing to take notes. I doubt seriously that she would object. She does love doing things like that."

"Perfect," exclaimed Harry. "The more of you that are here, the more my subconscious will allow me to stay calm. I have no doubt that between Luna and Fawkes singing, that their songs will soothe me as well. I just want to get this over with. When it's all said and done, I just want to finish my last year at Hogwarts and live my life when my betrothed graduates from school."

"We have set a date," explained Luna as the others were wondering what he was referring to. "We are going to get married on Halloween of this year. We will still be in school, but we figured that we could get this done so that the bloodlines can combine under one name for now. We can make sure that I don't get pregnant until I graduate. We want to ensure that the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin line all continue. We decided that we would do a number of different things as well."

"We decided that we would ask Poppy to make sure that Luna has two sets of twins," said Harry. "I was reading in a book that it can be done and we would still get two healthy babies that will retain equal amounts of magic. That way, when we step down, we can pass the mantle of the three founders we are related two along with the Potter name when Luna and I are too old and tired to do much more than sit and rock."

"That's actually not a bad idea," murmured Salazar. "Each of the children could take the last name of Potter and just add one of the founding houses to it as well as one of them taking the mantle of Pendragon. Emrys will always be in their bloodline, so that won't affect them in the slightest. You don't really want to advertise that you are a descendant of Emrys anyway. It would bring you more harm than good as many people would want to kill you due to who you are related to. It's bad enough that between the two of you, you are related to three of the founders of this school."

The group all talked a bit more about what would happen in two days. Harry was still nervous, but he was a little more at ease knowing that each person vowed to help him through it. There were still things that Harry had to get done. He hoped that Sirius and the Ministry would have made some headway, but he knew that Albus and Riddle were both still at large. The remaining Death Eaters of the Inner Circle were caught, but the two main perpetrators of the evil of their world were still on the run. It didn't matter that both were weak in magic, they were still out there and that bothered Harry.

Finally the day came and Harry was walking around on pins and needles. He knew that once the magic started that there would be no end to it until it ran its course. He wanted to get it over with as his nerves were making things sound worse than they really were. With a sigh, Harry decided to go for a walk. Luna and Fawkes were not far in case he wanted something or needed someone to talk to. They also knew that the only thing they could actually do for him was to just be there.

The night started out fine. Later that evening, Severus and Poppy came in with potions and other things that they might need. Amelia and the rest of the teens were around the room as well in case they needed to do things like repair stuff in case Harry threw magical spikes around the room. Around fifteen minutes to midnight, Severus and Poppy dosed Harry with a pain potion and had him lie on a bed in the middle of the common room of the tower. The castle would take most of the thrown magic, but they knew that they would be around Harry while he was going through this better in the larger room.

As midnight hit, so did the pain. Even with the potions, Harry's body arched off the bed. Luna and Fawkes began singing so that Harry could hear them. As was predicted, a few spikes of magic flew from Harry and did things like break the windows and such. They were easily fixed by those that were in the room with him. Other spikes were absorbed by the walls of the Tower and the castle started humming along with the phoenix as she took in the extra power.

"You might want to enter his mind now," mentioned Luna halting her song. "Harry will need you in there as his mind is starting to play tricks on him. He is seeing things that aren't really there. His abysmal childhood is rearing its head again and it will cause him to fight what he is going through making his pain even worse than it already is. Another potion in his system wouldn't go amiss either."

Poppy nodded and spelled another potion directly into Harry's system. Susan and Sirius stood by Harry's head and when Severus gave the nod, they carefully opened his eyes to allow Severus to enter his thoughts. Upon entering, he saw the turmoil that Harry was facing and went into immediate action.

"Harry stop!" he called. "This isn't real. It DID happen, but it is over with. You need to separate yourself from this or it will drive you insane. The more you fight it, the harder it will be to end it. If you work with me, we can help you with banishing these horrible memories. They will only get worse if we don't do something about them. I can and will help you if you let me."

"So many people thought I was some pampered prince," cried Harry. "This is the life I had until the founders stepped in and saved me from all of the hate in the world. This is what my life was like while people like Dumbledore and Riddle were going around ruling everyone with an iron fist. I HATE MY LIFE! I wish I never had to go through any of this bullshit. It isn't fair that they can have everything while I get hurt through it all. I want it all to end. I am so tired of fighting."

"NOW YOU STOP RIGHT THERE HARRY!" yelled Severus in frustration. "You may hate what happened to you, but look at the rewards you have received for all of it. Your relatives CAN'T hurt you anymore. They are going to be in prison for a very long time. Albus CAN'T hurt you either. You took away most of his magic and you took back your wand making him a below average wizard at best. Thanks to the combined efforts of everyone, the Dark Lord is going to die. He can be killed like everyone else. You took his magic from his as well. Just like the other fool, he is barely able to hold a wand and it isn't the one that chose him."

"It just hurts so much," whispered Harry hoarsely. "I just want to be normal like everyone else and I can't. I will always be known as the boy who lived and the boy who won't die. I don't want to be titled anymore. I just want to be happy."

"You will get that," insisted Severus patiently and calmly. "Luna is singing to you with no small amount of love in her tune. Fawkes is doing the same. You may have titles due to who you are related to, but to me, you will always be a brat and my favorite student to pick on. I don't think you are special. I KNOW you are a good person. You can't just give up because it's too hard. It has always been hard and you have always stepped up to the plate and took control. Do so now and things will get better. The war is all but over. You don't have to have so many titles and responsibilities now. You CAN be just you and nothing else."

Harry smiled at him for a moment before he went back to being morose over the images floating around. Severus took a deep breath before he continued with his commentary. He waved at the memories floating around before he spoke again.

"This is just what life threw you," he stated. "YOU BEAT IT! You have done more than any one wizard on the planet. If you can do that, then you can easily banish this nonsense. It can only hurt you if you let it. DO you think that I would not be here today had I let my childhood affect me? My childhood was just as bad as yours and I managed to get my mastery earlier than anyone else in history. If I can do it, then SO CAN YOU! It's time for you to stop feeling sorry for yourself and look at what you are gaining from all of this. You have lost lots, but you are making up for it in other ways. Besides, who wants to be normal? It's highly over rated."

This had Harry laughing as one by one the images faded. Severus showed him how to place those memories into a locked vault and store them away until he wanted to look at them. He explained to Harry that the problem he was having was that, the memories seemed to gang up on him all at once. By showing him how to lock them away, he would have an easier time dealing with them when he was ready.

"It's almost over now," said Severus. "Things within your magical core should be starting to stabilize by now. Once that is done, we will help you get to bed so that you can rest and let your body get accustomed to the influx of power that you now have. If you look deep within yourself, you will have noticed that your core is probably twice the size it was if not more. That is NEVER a bad thing. It will make your magic even easier to do than it already is. You will have the title of Arch Magus when it's all said and done, but that isn't a bad thing either. Stop being so gloomy and look at the positive of the situation."

Harry grinned at the snarky man before the two of them finished with everything. Harry took a sigh of relief when he felt his body relax. He knew Severus was right. He also knew that from time to time he was allowed to feel sorry for himself. However, this wasn't one of those times. Severus was correct is saying that the gain was more than the loss. It was alright to mourn for the loss, but it was never alright to give up on life and not progress better. He needed to hear that he would be alright. Severus was certainly able to do that.

"Let's go home," said Harry with a smile. "This has been a strange night and I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for your support, kindness, and assistance. You have gone above and beyond the call of duty. I hereby release you from any life debt that you owe to the Potter family. There should never have been one in the first place."

Smiling, Severus guided Harry out of his mind and the two of them woke with a start. The others all breathed a sigh of relief when the two men hugged one another and started to relax. Hermione got out her quill and notes, and the questions began. Once she was done getting all of the information, she made copies so that the Ministry could have one and the Headmistress as well as Harry.

The last of the summer months bled away and school began. Harry adjusted his mind to how it was for his sixth year and let things happen as they were supposed to. Just like before, he studied hard and made sure that his homework and lessons were impeccable. When a student needed a tutor, Harry was one of the few that was sought out to give the assistance needed. That he, Draco, Hermione, and Susan were assistants to the professors helped as well. Blaise, Daphne, and Neville were always with the Tower residents learning together to help each other keep their grades up. Luna always had help when she needed it.

The days turned into weeks. Soon enough it was time for the wedding of Luna and Harry. The two teens didn't want anything big, nor did they want a huge turnout. They mainly wanted the people who were responsible for making them happy to be there. Thus it was a small wedding. The couple went down to the Great Hall where they knew Sirius and Minerva set everything up with the elves for their wedding. Certain people outside of Hogwarts were invited, but for the most part it was intimate and soothing to both Harry and Luna to know that there would be no press or people trying to take advantage of their wedding to make their own lives look good.

"We aren't going to get married until next year," said Susan while Draco nodded. "There is no reason for us to rush either. We understand why Harry and Luna did it, but we don't have any reason to do so. I know that it was easier for Harry and Luna to do it on this day as Halloween was always a bad day for Harry. Now he has something to smile about on this day. Draco and I decided that we are going to get married after we graduate."

"I need for Sirius or Aunt Minerva to talk to Ragnok and Griphook about adding Luna to my accounts," said Harry. "As my wife, she has all the rights to the money and items in it. I know certain things she won't be able to use due to not having the magic of my ancestry, but there is no reason for her to not have access to everything else."

"I believe that it's already done," whispered Luna. "We know that the goblins are the best at keeping up with these things. Don't forget that both Ragnok and Griphook were at our ceremony. They would have already begun to work on it as soon as they returned to the bank. They are the best after all. They will have everything set up in no time. Father is happy that you and I are together as man and wife. He was looking forward to it."

"Well I didn't want to disappoint him any more than I did you," assured Harry with a smile. "I love you and will be with you for as long as this body holds out. I have a few issues that I have to deal with, but with you by my side, I can face anything. For the Christmas Holidays, I would like to just stay here and relax while getting caught up on some sleep and things like that. Did you have anything in mind? We can always ask your father if he wants to come here and spend a few days. That way he will be with his daughter and son in law."

"That's a great idea," stated Minerva. "Xeno would be extremely happy with that idea. He may be unusual in his outlook in life, but no one can state that he doesn't love his daughter with all of his might. He will do anything and everything to ensure that she is happy and well taken care of. I'll write out the invitation to him, Sirius, and Amelia immediately. If you want, we can do another Yule Ball. That way, the people can have some fun. The students are behaving even better this year than they were last year. We can even invite the Granger parents if you want. Hermione would enjoy having her parents here to see where she lives. It will also give her the chance to show her parents what she can do with her magic and such."

"I like the sound of that," answered Harry. "We don't do enough for the parents in my opinion. I think that if Aunt Petunia and Dudley could see what goes on and learn about what we do, they wouldn't have hated me and the magic so much. I wonder if it's possible to even do something like that for them. They are family after all. They can learn so much by just listening."

"I'll speak with Sirius about that," assured Narcissa. "We might be able to do something for them. They do need to understand that you are the good guy here. They might even learn something about you that they should have known all along if we do what you are suggesting. I know that many muggle parents would love to come and see what their students are learning. We can make sure they understand that any abuse of the privilege will get it removed for the future."

"As long as we don't punish all for the mistakes of a few, I can live with that," answered Harry. "Colin needs to learn that he can't keep sending him pictures home. He is close to breaking the Statute of Secrecy. You might want to talk with his parents about some of his photos and such. I know he has taken many pictures of the castle, Express, and Hogsmeade. We don't want all the muggles to know about us. That is one thing that I do think we need to be concerned about. Dumbledore and Voldemort had that part of it right if nothing else. We do need to protect the students and the residents of the magical world."

"You just let us handle all of that," stated Minerva. "We can and will be able to deal with this. We have been doing this for some time now. We can stop the pictures from going to the mundane world. We agree that we need to stop things like that. It's hard enough when our muggle born students talk to their parents about Hogwarts. We don't need the parents having the proof to show their friends and neighbors and such. Creevey is our biggest concern in that aspect of things. He does tend to get overexcited when he sees something new in the magical world."

Harry let the others handle what was going on. He studied, did his homework, and lived as a happily married man. Minerva and Sirius were in constant contact with one another regarding the Statute of Secrecy. Finally one day, Sirius came to the castle and Minerva called an assembly of the students to the Great Hall.

"We are here today due to some things that we have recently found out," explained Sirius as he scanned the hall looking at the students. "We are here to tell you that there are certain things that you ARE NOT allowed to do as, it will disrupt the work the Ministry has to keep the magical world hidden from the mundane people. We are doing our best to keep all witches and wizards safe from persecution and even death. Therefore, we are mainly talking to those that are half blood and muggleborn."

"While we know that you want to talk to your non-magical parents about your achievements, there are certain rules that you have to understand," said Amelia. "Doing things like sending lots of pictures of certain areas is not being prohibited. We can't have you sending magical photographs to the non-magical world. If even just one of those photos gets out, we are in for a serious amount of trouble."

"While it is in fact difficult to catch a real witch or wizard, we can still be killed by those who don't have magic," explained Sirius. "We are therefore going to change certain things. From now on, if you want to send a picture home, you have to limit your scenery in the picture. You will also limit them to being non magical pictures. This means that you can no longer sending the moving wizarding photos home. Should a muggle get a hold of a non-magical picture, you can easily explain it. Moving pictures sent to those that don't live in the magical world falls under the category of breaking the Statute of Secrecy."

"We are NOT going to punish anyone who has already sent the magical pictures home," assured Minerva. "What we need you to do is come forward if you sent magical photos to your families that are NOT in the magical world. No harm will come to anyone. We just need to know who has them and we will then recover them. You may start bringing home scrapbooks with you to show ONLY your family, but we will no longer allow you to send our photos out of the magical world."

"We want you to understand that this is just as much for your parents and siblings that don't have magic as it is for you," explained Harry. "We want to ensure their safety just as we do for yours. We are happy to acknowledge that you are proud of your wizarding heritage, but for safety purposes, we should just limit how much interaction our world has with that world. I happen to know that once I get my shop and home set up for me and my wife, I will want all sorts of muggle technology in it. However, even I believe it is in our best interest to stay hidden."

Colin and Dennis stood up and approached the staff table with fear in their eyes. Harry stood with them and whispered encouraging words into their ears to help alleviate them. Both boys admitted that they sent multiple pictures to their family members. They both admitted that they didn't know if their family sent the pictures to other people. They explained the scenes of the pictures and so forth.

"I think each of you deserves ten points for your honesty and another ten points each for your courage," said Severus before anyone could speak. "THAT is what it means to be a Gryffindor. Thank you both for doing what was right."

Minerva and Harry grinned at Severus as other students walked up and told the panel who they sent pictures to. Each student received twenty points for their courage and honesty. When it was all said and done, thirteen students admitted to sending pictures. When it was all recorded, all students received a pamphlet that gave the new guidelines for sending pictures.

"Messrs. Creevey," called Sirius. "I don't want to discourage you from taking pictures. You both have a natural talent for it. Once you graduate, we can always help you set up a store that will sell your photos. That will make sure that the magical world has many shots of their favorite places. I know this place has special and fond memories for me. If you would be so kind, I would love to see some of the pictures that you have taken of this place. Also I would like to see any you took of Harry."

Laughing, the boys agreed to the request. When the meeting was done, the students were dismissed to tend to their activities around the castle. Harry went back to his Tower to read and finish the essay he had been working on. When he was done, he sat there for a bit wondering what Albus and Tom were up to. He knew that it wouldn't be long before the two old fools would try something. They had been quiet for too long. That neither had been caught wasn't lost upon Harry either. Even with the bounties, they were still at large.

"Sickle for your thoughts," called Sirius as he entered and sat near Harry followed closely by Severus and Minerva. Luna wasn't far and listened closely in case she was needed. "What are you thinking about? You have been sitting there for the last few minutes looking off into space. Is there a problem that we might be able to help you with? You know that all you have to do is ask and if it's within our ability, we will help you."

"I was just wondering if there was any word on Albus and Tom," admitted Harry with a sigh. "The two of them have been quiet for far too long. I wonder what they are up to. Whatever it is, it can't be good. Then again, I haven't heard you tell me anything about either of them in quite some time. Even the paper hasn't mentioned a sighting of them or anything. Do we have some new leads on them?"

"We haven't received any concrete news yet," said Sirius. "However, we have heard from our bounty hunters that Albus was spotted in the Middle East. We know he is running, but we do tend to lose him from time to time. Even with his magic reduced to almost nothing, in some areas, he is still known as a good guy and people are assisting him from time to time. We still have the hunters on his trail. From what we were told, it shouldn't be that much longer before he is caught."

"What about Tom?" Harry asked again. "What is he up to? The more information that you give to me, the less I will worry. I am quite aware that he still believes in the prophecy. I know that eventually he will turn up around here again. While he can't get to the actual castle, I know he will try something that will cause harm to someone that is close to me. I can't allow that to happen."

"Just trust me when I tell you that we are doing everything in our power to capture him," assured Sirius. "We have upped the bounty on his head even more than the one for Albus. We have also asked Ragnok to assist us. The goblins are working around the clock to get to him. They want him as much as we do. The ONLY thing you need to worry about is getting good grades. I want you to be able to graduate with high honors. From what Severus tells me, you are still at the top of the school academically. I would like for you to stay there."

"We do have some good news for you," said Minerva placing a book on the desk in front of Harry and using her wand to open it to a certain page. "Some of your spells are now published spells. The board of education, as well as, the publishing companies of these books has sent checks to your account for printing your work. You have earned some of this as you have no less than five spells in this book. We will begin next year teaching some of the students how to cast your spells. This book is for your private collection. It's always nice to see your name in print. Severus has a copy of each and every book that has ever printed his potions in it. We will ensure that you get copies free of charge as well. You should be very proud of your accomplishments."

"I also took the liberty of making sure that you have some of the other stock in your store," said Sirius. "Dobby and Winky have been a great help in that aspect. I'm sure you noticed that your music crystals have been decreasing in number. Every time you have a certain amount, I have the elves take a bunch and bring them to your stores. Kreacher has been making sure that your store in Diagon Alley is clean. Winky has been tending to your store in Hogsmeade. By the time that you graduate, you will have two very full stores of merchandise to sell."

"This is great," exclaimed Harry clapping his hands. "I knew they were not all there, but I figured that Dobby and Winky were just storing them somewhere for me so that I would have the room. Dobby has been wonderful in going to the muggle world and bringing me back all kinds of music. I can put up to ten songs in each crystal. I will be making about a two galleon profit from the sale of each crystal once I start selling them."

"As each of your stores has hundreds, you will make a small fortune on it," stated Severus. "I will be working in your Diagon Alley store. Thanks to Sirius, I have a potions lab set up already and from time to time, I give Winky money to stock it with ingredients that I will want and need to make a steady supply of potions. Together, we will make lots of money. Your potion skills are well defined. There is no reason why you can't make potions on the side while creating new spells to sell and such. I noticed that it doesn't take you long to make a dozen or so crystals. I figure if you take four hours to make crystals a day, you could take two hours to make potions with me. From there, you have the rest of your time to either spend with Luna, or create new spells."

The group all talked for an hour or so more. They had effectively done what they set out and caused Harry to place his fears and concerns about the two old fools out of his mind for now. They didn't realize that soon, one or the other would cause problems for Harry.

The Christmas holidays were upon them. Harry and Luna went to Diagon Alley to work in the shop for the day. Severus was with them and was working on the lab getting it set up how he wanted it. Harry had opened the doors and allowed people to come into the shop to buy the crystals. He figured that he could make some extra money while working on the new crystals. Dobby had outdone himself and was able to get his hands on hundreds of pieces of music from the muggle world. Harry was sitting behind the counter at his work bench with Luna sitting near him to work the register when a chilling and familiar voice called out.

"So here you are at last Harry Potter," hissed Tom Riddle walking into the store. "You think you have beaten me by taking away my minions. You think you are better than me by stealing my magic. I have news for you boy. Even without my magic I am still strong enough to take you on. The magic of Salazar Slytherin will enable me to beat you like the bad child you are."

"I thought we made it clear to you that you don't have the magic or the blood of that particular family," said Harry glancing up from his work. "The person you are related to isn't a real Slytherin. They are a muggleborn witch and wizard that adopted the name to make them more accepted in the community. You don't have one drop of Salazar's blood in your veins. Even if you did, I am the TRUE heir and I have the power over the blood. You don't even have the Riddle magic to fall back on as he was a muggle. The Gaunt magic was too inbred to be powerful and I recalled that magic from you."

"We aren't really sure how you are able to cast magic at all, but the truth of the matter is that Harry and I are more powerful than you will ever be," stated Luna with just as much a lack of interest as Harry was projecting. "Harry is the heir and NEW Lord Slytherin and Gryffindor, and I am the Lady of the family. Add in that I'm also the Lady Ravenclaw, and you have a powerful set of teens sitting in front of you."

"As you can tell, neither of these teens is particularly worried about you," Severus informed him while waving his wand to keep the Dark Lord in the store. "You don't have the power to do anything to either of them. I have cast an anti-apparition spell on the store. Portkeys will not work unless they are created by one of the three of us. I have been training Harry and Luna for two years now. Salazar and the other three founders have also been training the teens. Harry, Luna, Susan, and Draco are the Champions of the Founders. You are nothing more than a bad memory to us all."

Voldemort pulled his wand and was shocked to his core when Harry lifted his head. With a wave of his hand, the wand soared out of Tom's hand and into Harry's waiting palm. From there, Harry smirked at the Dark Lord and snapped the offending wand in half.

"Did I forget to mention that Luna and I are married?" he asked sarcastically. "That doesn't have any particular bearing on anything, but we have two more titles that you should know about. We have two more titles that we have kept from the populace. We are the current Lord and Lady Emrys Pendragon. Both of us are skilled in many forms of magic."

To prove his point, Harry waved his hand in a unique gesture at Tom and froze him from the waist down. He flicked his fingers and made him float around the store like he was nothing more that the feather that the first years had to levitate. From there, he sent visions into the mind of the most feared Dark Lord in history.

"How did you like my taunting in Hogwarts?" asked Harry from inside of Tom's head. "Did you like that we made sure that the last of your Horcruxes were dead. The one inside of me was destroyed a long time ago. Salazar and Severus made sure of that. When you are a friend of the goblin nation and they call you their child, you tend to get things that most people couldn't or wouldn't imagine."

"We were wondering when you would put in an appearance," admitted Luna. "Even as powerful as we are as Seers, there are some things that we just aren't meant to see. Therefore, we didn't know when you were coming. We all knew that eventually you or Albus would show up and cause trouble. That was part of the reason why we opened the store for a few hours today. We were hoping that one or the other of you would show up."

"Now we have you," said Ragnok from the doorway with Sirius standing side by side with him. Behind them was a phalanx of Aurors and goblin warriors. "We have been searching for you for some time Mr. Tom. You aren't allowed to use the name Riddle as Harry recalled your family name and magics due to the Right of Conquest Act."

"You are not leaving us out are you?" asked Dobby. "Winky, Kreacher and I would like to do some damage to this deranged person as well."

"When did you start speaking so proper?" asked an astonished Harry. "Even Tom is shocked by your actions and diction. I must say that I'm very impressed with you. It's nice to be able to understand clearly what you are talking about."

"So much for being a fearful Dark Lord," said an amused Sirius. "You are no longer even powerful enough to deal with a house elf. Now you have three of them that work for the Potter and Black families that are after your blood. However, we have no time for each and every person to get their pound of flesh off of you. We want to end this chapter of our lives. The Aurors, Unspeakables, and our goblin brothers will escort you to the Veil Room. From there, you will be pushed through. You will never be able to harm another living soul again."

"If I understood some of my reading, you have condemned all of your remaining hidden marked minions to death right along with you," mentioned Harry. "By binding them to you, you have made our lives and jobs easier. Once you are dead, the magic will take them as well. For someone that claims they are so good, you really are a stupid individual. Your biggest mistake was to come after my family. There is only one gift that I will give to you."

"What do you possibly have that I want?" hissed Tom angrily. "You haven't won yet. Somewhere, someone will make a mistake and I will be free. When I get out of here, you will be the first one that I kill. I may not be able to get your magic, but I can get your wealth. You will see to that for me."

"Right," said Harry sarcastically. "My gift is information you idiotic twit. Albus No Name will join you in your punishment once we catch him. He has done just as many acts of darkness as you have. He will pay just as much as you will. Before you scream about how you will escape and do me harm, unless you read the book, my spell that I cast on you will hold until you are dead should I desire it. Unfortunately for you, it will hold until you are pushed through the Veil."

With that, Harry silenced the man with a wave of his hand. He also made sure that the Dark Lord's hands and arms were frozen by his side and unable to move. Harry was taking no chances with him.

"While I don't approve of killing someone, this isn't my choice or worry to make," hissed Harry in anger. "Yes I will feel bad about you being killed, but for everything that you have done, I will do my best to overcome my guilt and sadness quicker. You took everything from me and made me the enemy that you didn't really need. You should have realized that the prophecy was a fake. You WERE intelligent once. You should have known that Albus was manipulating you."

With that, Sirius and Ragnok took away the prisoner. The members from the Ministry as well as the goblins from the bank surrounded the former Dark Lord and carried him away. Harry took a few deep breaths. Luna wrapped her arms around him and kissed him slow and deep to show her love for him. Harry smiled at the young blond and the two of them went back to their work. Severus smiled as he squeezed both gently on their shoulders and went back to his own work.

Hours later, Sirius sent word that the deed was done and the demise of Voldemort was complete. Harry retreated into his thoughts for a little while, but he held his head up and knew that it was needed. It was stated before: This is a war and people will die in it. You will have to sometimes kill during a war. That doesn't make you a murderer.

On Christmas day, Harry was sitting at the castle and he and Luna opened their gifts. They had a lovely day together knowing that things were going well for them. They also knew that there was only one more threat to the Wizarding World. Once Albus was caught, then they wouldn't have to worry anymore.

Time flew by. Before anyone knew it, it was time for the fifth and seventh years to start taking their exams. Harry and his fellow seventh years had their noses pressed to the books to make sure that they were able to keep up with what was going on. Many a time, Severus had to tell them not to worry that even as seventh years, they were very advanced and wouldn't have any trouble with their exams.

Each day, the fifth and seventh years would sit and take their written exams in the morning and their practicals in the afternoon. The exams were spread out over the two week period, so the residents of Champion's Tower and their friends could breathe a little easier knowing they had time to prepare for each exam. The tests were grueling, but nothing that they couldn't handle. Each day, they would take their tests and then would sit and discuss where they might have gone wrong.

Sitting there, they waited as the final days past and they were allowed to enjoy themselves. The seventh years were enjoying the free time until the end of the school year as all of their tests and exams were done. They also were waiting patiently while the staff set up the end of the year feast. Luna was sitting with Harry with a smile. She had finished all of her tests. She knew without a doubt that she had passed her end of the year exams thanks to Harry, Severus, and the founders.

"This year we have the pleasure of announcing that Ravenclaw House has won the House Cup," called Minerva at the feast. "This is the first time in close to fifty years that the Eagles have won. Congratulations on all of your hard work. For those of you that are leaving us, please note that you will be missed. We would like to close the feast with a demonstration of a duel between Severus and Harry. The purpose behind this is to teach you all that even though you are leaving, you still have to be on your toes."

With that, the two men got ready. This was something that was agreed upon prior to the closing feast. Both men waited while Minerva set up the platform. From there, they took their stances. Both bowed low to one another and made ready. On the count of three, both men went into action. Harry was smaller than Severus and was easily weaving around in the spells. Severus was far older and skilled and was able to maneuver out of the way of Harry's spells. As the two dueled, the students were in awe as to how well both handled themselves. Finally Severus made a small mistake and Harry took advantage of it. With a well-placed stunner, Severus hit the ground and Harry was declared the winner.

Harry went to Severus and revived him and helped him stand. The two men saluted one another and then grinned to show there were no hard feelings between them. Both turned to the students and waved to them to show they were alright.

"We are going to attempt to have another dueling club next year," said Minerva as the two left the stage and she returned the hall to normal. "We want you all to be able to defend yourselves. We will not only teach you what it means to duel, but the rules that go with it. We want you to know the history as well as the protocol. Now as I know some of you still have packing to do, I recommend that you get to it. The train leaves early tomorrow and you don't want to leave anything behind."

With that, the students headed out. Early the next day, the train left and with it went Severus. Harry was looking forward to working full time in his store in Diagon Alley. Sirius wanted to ensure that Harry knew he could live in one of his houses or with Sirius himself. Harry smiled to the man and got busy with his creations. Hours of work and fun had Harry grinning as the customers bought his merchandise. He went with the schedule that Severus suggested and worked for a few hours on the crystals. He would then work for a few hours on potions. From there, he would just work around his shop making sure the shelves were stocked and the products dusted.

"Harry we have some great news for you," called Sirius a week later. Harry rushed to the front of the store and greeted his godfather. Severus and Luna were right behind him. "We FINALLY caught Albus. He will be transported to us in the next twenty four hours so that we can hold another trial for him. This time, we are pushing for a harsher punishment for his crimes. We don't want him to be able to get away from us again."

"I can be ready to take my spots on the Wizengamot," assured Harry. "Now that I don't have to worry about school, I can make sure that I have the store covered while I go to the trial. Hermione would be more than willing to work in the shop for a day so that I can go. I know that she wants to be a professor at Hogwarts when there is an opening, so she has been studying and making sure that she stays up to date on her information."

"Just come to the Ministry in two days and we will hold the trial then," mentioned Sirius. "It's more of a formality than anything else. He is already convicted, but we have to add the charge of escaping prison and fleeing. We can finally finish this whole sordid affair and move on with our lives."

As was asked, Harry and his party were promptly in the courtroom on the date of the trial. Luna was sitting for House Ravenclaw, while Susan and Draco were sitting in their designated spots on the panel. Narcissa was sitting for House Black. Severus was asked to sit for House Potter while Harry kept Gryffindor and Slytherin for his self. The trial got underway quickly.

"We are here today to make sure that the prisoner doesn't escape justice again," called Augusta. "We are to understand that Lord Gryffindor-Slytherin has called upon the family magics to strip him of his core of familial magic, but we want to ensure that he never gets out of prison again. Therefore, we have decided on the following and will put it up for a vote. We will place him back in magical suppression bracelets and collar. We will place him in a special cell within the Ministry so that he can be under constant guard. From there, we will have a dementor INSIDE the cell with him feeding on him constantly to keep him weak. His guards will be two goblins handpicked by Chief Ragnok personally so that no one can enter his cell until the day he dies. We are going to give the dementor instructions to kiss him immediately if he attempts to escape."

"We know that this is a harsh punishment," acknowledged Sirius. "We just don't want this criminal to escape justice again. Our Intel informed us that he was trying to take over for the Dark Lord Voldemort. He was going to raise an army of dark creatures and attack the Ministry building in hopes of kidnapping someone close to Lord Potter. From there, he was going to kill Harry. WE WON'T ALLOW THAT! All in favor of the punishment we decreed, please light your wands."

Every single wand on the panel of members lit in favor. Each person knew that it was time to end this once and for all. With the Dark Lord gone, it was time for the one that hid in the light to go as well. Each knew that it would only be a matter of time before the old fool tried something again and would be put out of commission once and for all. For Harry, it was a new chapter in his life and he could now breathe easier knowing his last enemy was gone.

Epilog

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Things were going well for Harry. He was making money due to his inventions. His partnership with Severus was beneficial to both men. When one wanted to go and do something away from the stores, the other would ensure that it ran smoothly.

School started and Luna was entering her final year. She was doing well with her ability. She and Harry would meet up every weekend to spend some quality time together. She was also happy to know that Harry was waiting for her to graduate before he took her on a long honeymoon.

Draco and Susan got married and were happily expecting their first child. They didn't want to long after being married to start their family. Both decided that it would be great for Harry to be godfather of their child. Remus and Tonks were also expecting and had also asked Harry to be godfather. Harry was looking forward to bringing his own children into the world.

The heirs of the founders started to move on with their lives. Harry and company would sometimes go to Hogwarts to teach for a year or so to make sure that others knew what was going on. Professors were watched closely as they wanted to make sure the level of education was just as high for future generations as it was for Harry and his friends. Each time that Harry entered the castle, it would hum as one of her champions would boost her wards.

Years started to flow for the Champions. Hermione got her wish and took over as Transfiguration Professor. She was also delighted to be Head of House. Each house has two heads so that they could better help the students. They had also added a second Deputy Head so that the work load lessened for those in that spot. Harry, Luna, and Severus would go to Hogwarts and teach from time to time. Draco and Susan became prominent figures in the Ministry.

Harry and Luna became parents to a set of twins. Both had the green eyes of their father and the blond hair of their mother. Both were loved. Severus, Neville, Hermione, and Susan were asked to be godparents. Each child brought to the heirs of the founders was something special. Even at their young ages, they were powerful in magic.

Harry and Luna had another set of twins. When it was all said and done, they had two boys and two girls. Neville ended up marrying Hermione and between them, they had three children of their own. Draco and Susan had a little girl to join their older boys for a total of three children themselves.

The years passed and those that were older started to die. Albus died in his cell at the age of 183 years old. Minerva passed away shortly before her 123rd birthday. Severus and Harry were still enjoying the quiet life with their stores. They ended up opening one in France and Bulgaria so that they could show their European counterparts that the magic was all that mattered.

As the years continued on, more of their friends and family passed. Severus died at just over 100 years of age. Sirius died a few years later. Things were quiet for the Champions. Each retired and spent their time working in one of Harry's two English stores. Their children had taken over prominent spots. Harry's oldest daughter married Draco and Susan's oldest son thus combining all four bloodlines into their children. Harry happily turned over the titles of Lord Gryffindor and Lord Slytherin to his boys while giving the titles of Lady Ravenclaw and Lady Potter to his girls.

Luna passed away fist of the Champions. She was close to 150 years old when she went to sleep with a smile on her face and didn't wake the following morning. Within a few years Draco and Susan were buried next to her on the grounds of Hogwarts. Harry would visit their graves every other day. One of his children was Headmistress of the school, so she always allowed her father to visit whenever he wished.

Sadly Harry lived for about fifty years more than his beloved Luna. He filled his time making crystals and potions or dedicating time to teach at Hogwarts. When he was around two hundred he passed away. He would always be remembered for his contributions to the magical world. He would also be remembered for his kind heart and peaceful ways.

The Founders of Hogwarts went back to sleep. With their heirs in charge, they wouldn't have to worry about the school. Over the decades and centuries, they would awaken and work with the current Head, but they were always willing to do so to make sure their dream would stay alive.

Fin

AUTHOR'S NOTE – This ends this fic. I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was easy to keep it flowing. However, we all know that good things much come to an end sometimes. I look forward to being able to start posting some of my newer works. Thanks to each of you that has stayed with me throughout the whole thing. A special thanks goes to my dad for actually printing a copy of this story for his collection of books.


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